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The research investigates the relationship between metamemory maturity and achievement of Arabic vocabulary size among STAM students in Selangor. The research sample consisted of 185 male and female students of Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) in different government-assisted religious schools (SABK) in Selangor. This study uses a survey design of 271 students in Selangor. A total of 185 students were selected as respondents through the proportional strata sampling technique. The study utilized a survey design and employed descriptive and inferential analyses. Two instruments were used: a questionnaire on metamemory maturity and a test on knowledge of Arabic vocabulary size. Findings revealed a medium level of metamemory maturity (mean score: 3.79) and Arabic vocabulary size achievement (mean score: 77.7). A significant correlation (r = 0.18) was found between metamemory maturity and vocabulary size achievement. Regression analysis indicated that metamemory maturity contributes significantly (β=0.184, t=2.538, p=0.012), explaining 3.4% of the variance in Arabic vocabulary size mastery. The study suggests that metamemory maturity influences students' Arabic vocabulary size mastery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilingual children's total vocabulary in each of their languages is often smaller than that of monolinguals. In their seminal study, Bialystok et al. (2010. ‘Receptive vocabulary differences in monolingual and bilingual children.’ Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 13 (4): 525–531) divided children's vocabulary into ‘home’ and ‘school’ words and found no differences in bilinguals’ knowledge of ‘school’ words compared to monolinguals. In Study 1, we asked 292 parents and teachers to categorize words into ‘home’ or ‘school’ contexts, and in Study 2, we analyzed the vocabulary of 220 Polish-English bilingual and monolingual (English and Polish) children aged 4.5–7. The results show that bilinguals knew fewer ‘home’ and ‘school’ words than monolinguals in each language. However, bilinguals were likely to be exposed to these words either at home or at school, whereas monolinguals would hear them in both contexts. For a small subset of English words that bilinguals heard in both contexts, bilinguals showed similar performance to monolinguals. Our results provide evidence for exposure effects in vocabulary acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many overseas students in Higher Education in the UK struggle to understand the compulsory texts for their course, and obtain lower scores for their modules than their monolingual peers. While the existence of this achievement gap is well established in the literature, little is known about the ways in which overseas students in HE with limited English language and literacy skills meet the challenges posed by the compulsory reading on their course. The current study is novel because we focus on a postgraduate Law module and use a mixed methods approach to study the relationship between students' language and literacy profiles and their academic achievement. The results show that students' vocabulary sizes did not provide enough lexical coverage for them to understand the set texts and that the language and literacy profiles of our students did not correlate with their module scores. In-depth interviews revealed that students with IELTS scores of 6.0 or lower used 'creative reading' strategies such as machine translation, to pass assignments, while staff used 'compassionate marking' strategies in the case of struggling writers, which means module scores for some students were likely inflated. Implications for admissions tutors and teachers in HE are formulated at the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partner selection can be studied from different disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and economics. However, linguistic perspectives have been neglected. That is why we need an interdisciplinary approach that includes language. The present article investigates how important the vocabulary size of a potential partner is for marital choice. Our theoretical framework is mainly that of biological markets which are still being widely used. This framework assumes that human decisions are made on a rational basis, e.g., about the characteristics that a potential partner brings into a marriage such as economic assets (wealth, education), psychological traits (intelligence, kindness, fairness), or signs that show physical and mental health. Partner selection takes place on a biological market where assets are displayed and are part of the negotiation for the best partner. We argue that vocabulary knowledge is such an asset, which is acquired through lengthy and costly education and distinguishes potential partners (or their parents) who can afford the accumulation of this form of human capital. Markets are not fully transparent and our knowledge about a potential partner might be incomplete or even distorted through false information or even cheating as one can clearly see from advertisements in online dating. However, we cannot pretend, at least not over a longer period of time, to know words that are not at our disposal. This present study is based on data from 83 couples after more than 15 years of marriage. Their vocabulary scores correlate highly and it is possible that this correlation is the result of accommodation through marriage. However, through partialling out statistically the years of marriage we conclude that the vocabulary size of each partner was an important factor already right at the beginning of their relationship. Those with higher human capital in vocabulary attract similar partners, and this holds for males and females as well as vice versa. Our participants are all Turkish–English sequential bilinguals and the question is whether it is vocabulary knowledge in the first or the second language that plays a crucial role in partner selection. Our results show that both languages are important. We argue that it is not knowledge of words at the surface level but that it is knowledge of conceptual concepts underlying both languages that serve as a display of human capital on the biological market of partner selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Protein language models (PLMs) play a dominant role in protein representation learning. Most existing PLMs regard proteins as sequences of 20 natural amino acids. The problem with this representation method is that it simply divides the protein sequence into sequences of individual amino acids, ignoring the fact that certain residues often occur together. Therefore, it is inappropriate to view amino acids as isolated tokens. Instead, the PLMs should recognize the frequently occurring combinations of amino acids as a single token. In this study, we use the byte-pair-encoding algorithm and unigram to construct advanced residue vocabularies for protein sequence tokenization, and we have shown that PLMs pre-trained using these advanced vocabularies exhibit superior performance on downstream tasks when compared to those trained with simple vocabularies. Furthermore, we introduce PETA, a comprehensive benchmark for systematically evaluating PLMs. We find that vocabularies comprising 50 and 200 elements achieve optimal performance. Our code, model weights, and datasets are available at https://github.com/ginnm/ProteinPretraining . Scientific contribution This study introduces advanced protein sequence tokenization analysis, leveraging the byte-pair-encoding algorithm and unigram. By recognizing frequently occurring combinations of amino acids as single tokens, our proposed method enhances the performance of PLMs on downstream tasks. Additionally, we present PETA, a new comprehensive benchmark for the systematic evaluation of PLMs, demonstrating that vocabularies of 50 and 200 elements offer optimal performance. Graphical Abstract

Protein language models (PLMs) play a dominant role in protein representation learning. Most existing PLMs regard proteins as sequences of 20 natural amino acids. The problem with this representation method is that it simply divides the protein sequence into sequences of individual amino acids, ignoring the fact that certain residues often occur together. Therefore, it is inappropriate to view amino acids as isolated tokens. Instead, the PLMs should recognize the frequently occurring combinations of amino acids as a single token. In this study, we use the byte-pair-encoding algorithm and unigram to construct advanced residue vocabularies for protein sequence tokenization, and we have shown that PLMs pre-trained using these advanced vocabularies exhibit superior performance on downstream tasks when compared to those trained with simple vocabularies. Furthermore, we introduce PETA, a comprehensive benchmark for systematically evaluating PLMs. We find that vocabularies comprising 50 and 200 elements achieve optimal performance. Our code, model weights, and datasets are available at https://github.com/ginnm/ProteinPretraining. Scientific contribution: This study introduces advanced protein sequence tokenization analysis, leveraging the byte-pair-encoding algorithm and unigram. By recognizing frequently occurring combinations of amino acids as single tokens, our proposed method enhances the performance of PLMs on downstream tasks. Additionally, we present PETA, a new comprehensive benchmark for the systematic evaluation of PLMs, demonstrating that vocabularies of 50 and 200 elements offer optimal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As in many other countries, baseline data concerning the linguistic development of bilingual children in Sweden are lacking, and suitable methods for identifying developmental language disorder (DLD) in bilinguals are lacking as well. This study presents reference data from 108 typically developing (TD) Turkish/Swedish-speaking children aged 4;0–8;1, for a range of language tasks developed specifically for the assessment of bilinguals (LITMUS test battery, COST Action IS0804). We report on different types of nonword repetition (NWR) tasks (language-specific and language-independent), receptive and expressive vocabulary (Cross-Linguistic Lexical Tasks, CLTs), and narrative macrostructure comprehension and production (Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives, MAIN) in Turkish, the children's home language, and in Swedish, the language of schooling and society. Performance was investigated in relation to age, language exposure, type of task, and (for NWR and narratives) vocabulary size. There was a positive development with age for all tasks, but effects of language exposure and vocabulary size differed between tasks. Six bilingual Turkish/Swedish children with DLD were individually compared to the TD children. TD/DLD performance overlapped substantially, particularly for NWR, and more so for the production than the comprehension tasks. Surprisingly, the discriminatory potential was poor for both language-specific and language-independent NWR. DLD case studies underscored the importance of interpreting language scores in relation to exposure history, and the need for an increased emphasis on functional language skills as reported by parents and teachers when assessing and diagnosing DLD in bilinguals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the well-established role of lexis in proficiency in the four skills, a great deal of research has focused on the importance of vocabulary breadth and depth in reading. Therefore, the neglect of productive skills has motivated recent calls to inspect the impact of lexical dimensions on writing ability. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS SEM), this study examines the contributions of vocabulary breadth and depth aspects to EFL learners’ narrative writing ability. For this purpose, the researchers administered the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test (the UVLT), the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (the PVLT), the Word Associates Test (the WAT), and a narrative writing task to 77 EFL undergraduate students. The participants’ scripts were scored, following IELTS analytical band descriptors. Results of the PLS SEM disclosed that vocabulary size and depth explained around 45% of the variance in the writing scores of the subjects. They also revealed that, among the variables examined, receptive vocabulary size was the only statistically significant factor that contributed the most to writing ability. The implications for writing assessment and instruction are discussed.

Undoubtedly, the significance of employing effective strategies for vocabulary acquisition in language learning cannot be overstated. Following this, the authors' research delves into the potential relationship between vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) and the vocabulary size of undergraduate students at the University of Danang - University of Foreign Language Studies (UD-UFLS). This study has three primary objectives: firstly, to gather and analyze the diverse strategies employed by undergraduate students for acquiring new English vocabulary; secondly, to examine the vocabulary size of these university students; and finally, to investigate the impact of VLS on the overall vocabulary size of the learners. Through this comprehensive approach, the authors' aim to gain deeper insights into the dynamic interplay between strategies and vocabulary knowledge, ultimately serving as a foundation for students at the university to make well-informed choices as they embark on their language -learning journey.

Vocabulary knowledge plays an important role in writing. Previous research has examined the relationship between various aspects of vocabulary knowledge and independent writing performance and limited attention has been given to integrated writing such as summary writing. Our study investigated the contribution of two aspects of vocabulary knowledge (vocabulary size and lexical richness) to summary writing quality. In addition, we examined the extent to which lexical richness measures relate to summary writing quality among students who have smaller vocabulary sizes and students who have larger vocabulary sizes. We addressed these questions by administering a lexical decision test called the LexTALE and analyzing lexical richness and writing quality in the summary writing of 73 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners of English. The results revealed a strong positive correlation between vocabulary size and summary writing quality indicating that a larger vocabulary size is associated with higher-quality summaries. However, most measures of lexical richness did not show a significant correlation with summary writing quality. Interestingly, the relationship between lexical richness measures and summary writing quality varied when learners were put in two groups with different vocabulary sizes. Implications of the findings of the study for language teaching pedagogy and for research on the complex relationship between vocabulary knowledge and summary writing are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few published estimates of vocabulary sizes amongst students in tertiary education. Research does not offer estimates of the vocabulary size tertiary students might be expected to possess, though estimates exist for K-12 education, some EFL contexts, and the general population. Such research is important. For reading comprehension during tertiary education, a vocabulary of minimally 10,000 words is recommended, along with proficiency in academic vocabulary. A recent study of three universities in the United Kingdom concluded pedagogical intervention was required, since estimates indicated undergraduates knew fewer than 10,000 words. A subsequent study of a New Zealand university found students knew 16,000 words and pedagogical intervention was not required. The current study investigates 433 tertiary students at an Australian university to determine if students required vocabulary support. It contributes to a research record allowing for comparisons internationally, nationally, and over time. Methods employed included the Vocabulary Size Test/VST and Academic Vocabulary Test/AVT. Results indicate an average vocabulary size of 16,117 words, with academic vocabulary well-known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on vocabulary learning strategies plays a crucial role in understanding how individuals acquire and expand their vocabulary knowledge. While ample evidence indicates that Arab EFL learners possess a limited vocabulary size, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on Syrian EFL learners. Furthermore, investigating how vocabulary learning strategies may contribute to vocabulary knowledge remains relatively underexplored. This study has a three-fold objective: (i) to identify the vocabulary learning strategies most commonly employed by Syrian EFL learners, (ii) to examine the vocabulary size of Syrian EFL learners, and (iii) to investigate the impact of these strategies on vocabulary size. Two test instruments were used: the Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) and the Vocabulary Size Test (VST). The VLSQ assessed participants' strategy use, while the VST served as a diagnostic tool for measuring their vocabulary size. Our results revealed that Syrian secondary school EFL students generally exhibited a moderate use of learning strategies, with social learning strategies being the most frequently employed. Additionally, the results indicated that participants possessed a "low" vocabulary size, with 74% demonstrating proficiency in the range of 2000-3000 words. Correlational analyses further revealed a significant and positive relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size, suggesting that both social and metacognitive strategies contribute more to vocabulary size than other learning strategies. These findings provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of learning strategies and vocabulary size in language learning and overall proficiency development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary research provides valuable information on the construct of word knowledge (WK), and suggests ways to develop language learners' lexicon, arguably, the backbone of communication. The present study explores EFL students' vocabulary learning behavior; more specifically, the aspects of WK components they intentionally focus on when learning new words. Data was collected from 536 undergraduate students in an EFL context. Our findings revealed that EFL students' vocabulary size was roughly 5,000 word families, considerably less than the number advocated for academic studies. Regarding the various aspects of WK, the top three components that the participants with larger vocabulary sizes primarily focus on were a word's meaning in L2, spelling, and pronunciation, whereas for those students with a smaller vocabulary size, the top three choices were meaning in L1, spelling and meaning in L2. This intentional focus on separate aspects of WK, especially the meaning-form link in L2, might instigate further progress for the former group, and the lack thereof may inhibit learning opportunities for the latter. Exploration of the processes of vocabulary learning will guide teaching practice, and materials design. It may also call for adjustments in curricula as our understanding of vocabulary acquisition processes evolves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurable vocabulary knowledge of Japanese learners of English (JLEs) has yet to be fully investigated. This study, therefore, attempts a detailed investigation of JLEs’ vocabulary knowledge to clarify the relationship between the frequency of words and their difficulty level and to identify the factors that affect the difficulty of vocabulary learning. We tested 192 university-level JLEs on 1,035 verbs, requesting that they choose a correct Japanese translation. The average number of correct answers for each verb was compared with its frequency ranking. Moreover, the characteristics of verbs that received high and low percentages of correct answers were examined. The three major findings were as follows. First, the average number of correct answers was 751.97 (72.65% of the verbs investigated). Second, the average number of correct answers decreased as the frequency of the verb decreased. However, this tendency diminished beyond the 4,000-word level. Finally, not a few low-frequency verbs garnered a high percentage of correct answers; these were verbs that included affixes or were English loanwords that were possibly known to JLEs. However, other low-frequency verbs received a low percentage of correct answers because they had abstract or multiple meanings and lacked clues that could facilitate an understanding of the word’s meaning. We concluded that these were the main factors affecting the degree of difficulty in learning each vocabulary item. Regarding this study’s pedagogical implications, efficient use should be made of English-based loanwords and affixes, and university-level JLEs should intentionally learn low-frequency words.

Partner selection can be studied from different disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and economics. However, linguistic perspectives have been neglected. That is why we need an interdisciplinary approach that includes language. The present article investigates how important the vocabulary size of a potential partner is for marital choice. Our theoretical framework is mainly that of biological markets which are still being widely used. This framework assumes that human decisions are made on a rational basis, e.g., about the characteristics that a potential partner brings into a marriage such as economic assets (wealth, education), psychological traits (intelligence, kindness, fairness), or signs that show physical and mental health. Partner selection takes place on a biological market where assets are displayed and are part of the negotiation for the best partner. We argue that vocabulary knowledge is such an asset, which is acquired through lengthy and costly education and distinguishes potential partners (or their parents) who can afford the accumulation of this form of human capital. Markets are not fully transparent and our knowledge about a potential partner might be incomplete or even distorted through false information or even cheating as one can clearly see from advertisements in online dating. However, we cannot pretend, at least not over a longer period of time, to know words that are not at our disposal. This present study is based on data from 83 couples after more than 15 years of marriage. Their vocabulary scores correlate highly and it is possible that this correlation is the result of accommodation through marriage. However, through partialling out statistically the years of marriage we conclude that the vocabulary size of each partner was an important factor already right at the beginning of their relationship. Those with higher human capital in vocabulary attract similar partners, and this holds for males and females as well as vice versa. Our participants are all Turkish–English sequential bilinguals and the question is whether it is vocabulary knowledge in the first or the second language that plays a crucial role in partner selection. Our results show that both languages are important. We argue that it is not knowledge of words at the surface level but that it is knowledge of conceptual concepts underlying both languages that serve as a display of human capital on the biological market of partner selection.

Although the utility of model‐based feedback is well documented, little is known about which factors modulate its effectiveness. The current study investigated the extent to which learner differences in receptive and productive vocabulary sizes, as well as differences in their language aptitude (measured by the LLAMA test), mediated the effects of using models as a written corrective feedback (WCF) tool. Sixty Korean learners of English (ages 18–21) were divided into an experimental and a control group. They all completed an argumentative writing task. Before revising their texts, the experimental group received model texts to compare their first draft, while the control group self‐corrected their errors without a model. Subsequently, all 60 participants took the LLAMA and vocabulary size tests. The model group's revisions showed significant improvements in vocabulary, content, and organization compared to the control group. The results also showed that learners' receptive and productive vocabulary sizes significantly predicted the effectiveness of model‐based feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This quasi-experimental comparative group study examined vocabulary knowledge and its associations with other language skills in Greek-speaking children with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild language impairment (HF-ASDLI) and typically developing (TD) peers. Methods: 25 children aged 7–10 years old participated in each group. Groups were matched in age, gender, and non-verbal IQ. Naming and word definition tasks were used to evaluate vocabulary knowledge in both groups. Results: Groups did not differ in the naming task; however, children with HF-ASDLI scored lower in the definition task. Both vocabulary tasks positively correlated with morpho-syntactic and overall language ability in both groups, although a significant positive correlation was detected between vocabulary knowledge and informational competence exclusively in the group with HF-ASDLI. Conclusions: Being in the HF-ASDLI group and having narrative ability significantly predicted participants' performance in the definitions task, indicating that language impairment better explains vocabulary difficulties. These results agree with findings from the English language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on reading in a foreign language report that meaningful reading comprehension is determined by an individual's vocabulary size. A conclusion from these studies is that a vocabulary threshold of 8000-9000 words is compulsory for the reader to comprehend 98% of running words in academic texts and consequently achieve optimal comprehension of the materials. A threshold of 4,000-5,000 words can only assist readers to understand 95% of running words, which guarantees minimal comprehension. This study examines the relationship between the vocabulary size of undergraduate university students and the vocabulary coverage of reference books sampled from among those listed in their course outlines. This corpus-based and descriptive study used the Vocabulary Level Test (VLT) to assess the vocabulary size of 774 participants and a vocab profiler to analyze the vocabulary coverage of the nine sampled reference books. The results showed that, on average, the participants' vocabulary size would enable them to comprehend 95% of the running words in most of the books in the sample, but that size would not help them to understand 98% of the running words in any of the sampled books. These results suggest that, on average, no student in the sample could have optimal comprehension of the sampled reference books. Therefore, our study calls for the need to introduce serious reading programmes at the primary and secondary school levels so as to promote students' vocabulary size and reading comprehension ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idioms, along with other formulaic multiword phrases, represent a substantial part of vocabulary knowledge. This study investigates how idiom knowledge develops through the adult lifespan, comparing familiarity and transparency ratings for a large set of common English idioms. A total of 237 participants, ranging from 18 to 77 years old, collectively rated 200 idioms. They also completed a short single-word vocabulary test and provided information about their educational background. Results showed a clear increase in idiom and single-word knowledge throughout the lifespan. For idioms, this represented a jump from the youngest age-group, then a steady increase from the age of around 25 onward. Single word vocabulary knowledge increased more evenly as a function of age. Perceptions of transparency were not affected in the same way. I discuss what these results suggest about the development of vocabulary through the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-methods case study examines how an online extensive reading project impacted the 11 participants' motivation, habits, and linguistic abilities regarding L2 English reading. The participants engaged in extensive reading for one year on Xreading (an online extensive reading website). They were all female Japanese nationals aged between 30 and 65 whose L1 was Japanese. Previous studies have reported the benefits of extensive reading for elementary/intermediate learners, but have not fully looked at outcomes for learners at higher levels. This study's findings suggest that extensive reading is equally beneficial for those above the intermediate level. Throughout this project, the participants accessed graded readers on Xreading, and quickly established reading habits in English, transforming from reluctant to engaged, avid L2 readers. The qualitative data obtained from interviews, journals, and records on Xreading revealed the sources of the participants' positive changes to be: how engaging and easy to comprehend the graded readers were, a sense of commitment to the project, consistent support from the researcher, and the Xreading's useful functions. Additionally, the participants' vocabulary sizes and reading rates, increased significantly (vocabulary size gains, p < .0005 and reading rate gains, p < .05) in parallel to the substantial amount of reading they were doing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that both input quantity and quality play a role in dual language learning. However, it is unclear whether input quantity factors (e.g., school input) and input quality factors (e.g., home media input) work similarly in the language development of bilinguals while other potential internal and external factors are controlled for. This paper addressed this issue through investigating the influence of input quantity and input quality factors, both at the individual and group levels, on morphosyntax, vocabulary size, and lexical access ability in the Kurdish-L1 and English-L2 of Kurdish–English bilingual adolescents. Data were collected via a battery of standardized and researcher-developed measures and a detailed questionnaire. The results from backward regressions revealed that higher parental Kurdish proficiency and more exposure to Kurdish input through siblings and reading activities were associated with better Kurdish morphosyntactic skill, while a larger Kurdish vocabulary size was predicted by more exposure to native-speaker input in Kurdish. Both more Kurdish input received in preschool/school and through Kurdish media were related to better lexical access ability in Kurdish. Further, more exposure to English input in preschool/school predicted better English morphosyntactic skill and a larger vocabulary size, whereas higher paternal English proficiency was associated with better lexical access ability in English. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that input quality was more important in explaining Kurdish morphosyntactic and vocabulary size skills and lexical access ability in both languages, while input quantity explained more variance in English morphosyntactic and vocabulary size skills. Out-of-class Kurdish input outweighed instructional input to a certain extent in relation to Kurdish skills and lexical access ability in English, while instructional English input was more important for English morphosyntax and vocabulary size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in how frequently caregivers engage with their children is associated with variation in children's later language outcomes. One explanation for this link is that caregivers use both verbal behaviors, such as labels, and non‐verbal behaviors, such as gestures, to help children establish reference to objects or events in the world. However, few studies have directly explored whether language outcomes are more strongly associated with referential behaviors that are expressed verbally, such as labels, or non‐verbally, such as gestures, or whether both are equally predictive. Here, we observed caregivers from 42 Spanish‐speaking families in the US engage with their 18‐month‐old children during 5‐min lab‐based, play sessions. Children's language processing speed and vocabulary size were assessed when children were 25 months. Bayesian model comparisons assessed the extent to which the frequencies of caregivers' referential labels, referential gestures, or labels and gestures together, were more strongly associated with children's language outcomes than a model with caregiver total words, or overall talkativeness. The best‐fitting models showed that children who heard more referential labels at 18 months were faster in language processing and had larger vocabularies at 25 months. Models including gestures, or labels and gestures together, showed weaker fits to the data. Caregivers' total words predicted children's language processing speed, but predicted vocabulary size less well. These results suggest that the frequency with which caregivers of 18‐month‐old children use referential labels, more so than referential gestures, is a critical feature of caregiver verbal engagement that contributes to language processing development and vocabulary growth. Research Highlights: We examined the frequency of referential communicative behaviors, via labels and/or gestures, produced by caregivers during a 5‐min play interaction with their 18‐month‐old children.We assessed predictive relations between labels, gestures, their combination, as well as total words spoken, and children's processing speed and vocabulary growth at 25 months.Bayesian model comparisons showed that caregivers' referential labels at 18 months best predicted both 25‐month vocabulary measures, although total words also predicted later processing speed.Frequent use of referential labels by caregivers, more so than referential gestures, is a critical feature of communicative behavior that supports children's later vocabulary learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As English dominates the Internet, most education systems need to prepare pupils to perform L2 information searches. Generating efficient search terms and understanding the information retrieved requires good vocabulary knowledge. This study examined the relationship between vocabulary knowledge, L2 online searching, and attitudes towards online searching. A sample of Swedish pupils’ abilities in locating suitably difficult texts and learning words were tested by comparing their Vocabulary Size Test scores with the lexical density of their search results and subsequent text production. Long-term vocabulary recall and self-efficacy for searching online were also tested. The results indicate that pupils tended to read and write texts below their ability level. They were unaware that they could achieve more as their self-efficacy measures indicated high confidence levels despite rather modest skills. The challenge posed by the findings is to enable teenagers to recognize how much more effectively they could use the Internet, without damaging their confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vocabulary size estimates suggested for native speakers used to vary considerably. More recently, researchers using Yes/No tests reported numbers that are much closer together. This article seeks to answer the question of whether we can give an estimate of an adult native speaker's vocabulary size without specifying a language. First, it presents the estimate for a native speaker's vocabulary size in Lithuanian and explores its variation depending on the person's age (ranging from 16 to 71 years old), place of residence, their reading for pleasure habits, and gender. Then it compares this estimate to the ones suggested for German, English, and Dutch native speakers. The analysis suggests that the estimates for different languages, at least the ones based on empirical data rather than statistical predictions, do not differ considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The quality of parent speech has been argued to impact childlanguage growth above and beyond quantity. One potentialmechanism tying online experience to long-term vocabularydevelopment is sustained attention to targets of parent speech.We recruited thirty-five parent-toddler dyads to participate infree toy play while wearing head-mounted eye trackers. Parentspeech was categorized based on its referential nature, syntax,and communicative intent. Parent referential speech positivelyrelated to both vocabulary size and online patterns of sustainedattention. Speech categorized based on communicative intentalso showed relations with vocabulary size and sustainedattention, but specific types of speech impacting each differed.These results support the hypotheses that qualitativecharacteristics of parent speech relate to both long-termlanguage growth and online sustained attention and providetentative evidence for the broader hypothesis that sustainedattention is the mechanism tying online experience to long-term language growth.

Background: Previous studies have explored the size and word type composition (nouns, predicates, etc.) of expressive vocabularies of preschool children with Down syndrome, both spoken and signed. Separately, overall preferences for modality of expression have also been explored. Aims: To extend previous findings by describing the relationships between expressive vocabulary size and both word type and modality of expression in the preschool period including changes to modality preference over time. Methods & Procedures: Mothers of 35 children with Down syndrome, aged 36–66 months and attending the same early intervention programme, completed a version – with both spoken word and sign options – of the New Zealand MacArthur‐Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI): Words and Sentences. Most mothers completed the CDI on multiple occasions across the duration of the study. Completions (n = 114) were analysed cross‐sectionally and longitudinally in terms of (1) word type relative to vocabulary size, (2) modality of expression relative to word type and vocabulary size, and (3) individual trajectories in vocabulary size and modality of expression. Outcomes & Results: (1) Word type relative to vocabulary size was similar to previous studies with a greater proportion of the SOCIAL words being present in the children's vocabularies throughout, followed by NOUNS, PREDICATES and CLOSED class words, with proportions converging as vocabulary sizes increase. (2) An initial spoken word preference for SOCIAL and CLOSED class words and sign preference for NOUNS and PREDICATES was found, with more spoken words in larger vocabularies overall. (3) Individual trajectories were highly variable and also revealed temporary points of regression in overall expressive vocabulary size in some children. Children who shifted from reliance on sign to predominantly spoken word expression did so at different ages and at different vocabulary sizes. At school entry, while most of the children used both modalities, some children continued to rely on sign for most vocabulary items whereas others used only spoken words. Conclusions & Implications: An appreciation of both the general trends and potential for individual variation in vocabulary structure, modality of expression and change over time will better position clinicians and education specialists to provide individually tailored support to both preschool and school‐aged children with Down syndrome. What this study adds: What is already known on this subject: Preschool children with Down syndrome have been shown to demonstrate developmental patterns in overall conceptual vocabulary size and word type development broadly similar to typical development. The use of signed vocabulary has also been explored, but independently from word type development and with less attention to individual trajectories in either vocabulary size development or modality preferences throughout the preschool period than is necessary for clinical use. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study found interactions between word type and modality of expression in relation to vocabulary size as well as a few temporary vocabulary size regressions similar to those found in much younger typically developing children. An initial spoken word preference for social and closed class words, and sign preference for nouns and predicates, was followed by a general trend towards spoken words for all word types as vocabulary (with some fluctuations) increased over time. Children demonstrated considerable individual variation in size of vocabulary and age at which they pivoted from a signed to a spoken word preference. Moreover, while most children used both modalities at school entry, a few retained a sign‐only vocabulary and others had moved fully onto spoken word‐only expression. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: An understanding of both the general trends and individual variation in vocabulary structure and modality of expression development will better position clinicians and educational specialists to provide individually tailored support to children with Down syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how 8- to 15-month-old Peruvian children (N = 18) express pragmatic functions in terms of the modality and referential-specificity level of each communicative behaviour. Results show that pragmatic functions were expressed mainly via the vocal modality, primarily with vocalisations; nevertheless, specific functional patterns were found: declaratives involved more use of words, and imperatives more use of gestures. While older children produced more declaratives and less personal expressions, and more words, there was no significant change of preferred modality with age. Finally, vocabulary size and pragmatic production seem to be associated: children with larger receptive vocabularies produced more declaratives and less personal expressions, while those with larger expressive vocabularies produced fewer personal expressions and more words. This pragmatic approach allows for a more nuanced view of communicative development, with each function exhibiting a specific trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of proficiency is widely discussed in multilingual language acquisition research, and yet, there is little consensus as to how one should operationalize it in our empirical investigations. The present study assesses the validity of the LexTALE (Lemhöfer & Broersma, 2012) as a 'quick and valid' measure of global proficiency. We first provide an overview review of how the LexTALE has been used since its publication, showing that although the test has gained popularity in the last few years, its reliability has not been thoroughly examined. Thus, herein we present results of a partial replication of Lemhöfer and Broersma (2012), where we empirically assess the validity of the LexTALE as a measure of L2 global proficiency in two groups of learners of English with various degrees of proficiency (L1 Spanish, n = 288; L1 Chinese, n = 266). Results indicate that if we are to use LexTALE in our investigations, we should do so with caution as the analyses show that irrespective of the L1 and level of proficiency of the targeted participants, its reliability as a measure of global proficiency is under question evidenced by the low and moderate correlations found with a standardised measure of global proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This quasi-experimental comparative group study examined vocabulary knowledge and its associations with other language skills in Greek-speaking children with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild language impairment (HF-ASDLI) and typically developing (TD) peers. Methods: 25 children aged 7–10 years old participated in each group. Groups were matched in age, gender, and non-verbal IQ. Naming and word definition tasks were used to evaluate vocabulary knowledge in both groups. Results: Groups did not differ in the naming task; however, children with HF-ASDLI scored lower in the definition task. Both vocabulary tasks positively correlated with morpho-syntactic and overall language ability in both groups, although a significant positive correlation was detected between vocabulary knowledge and informational competence exclusively in the group with HF-ASDLI. Conclusions: Being in the HF-ASDLI group and having narrative ability significantly predicted participants’ performance in the definitions task, indicating that language impairment better explains vocabulary difficulties. These results agree with findings from the English language.

Published work on vocabulary assessment has grown substantially in the last 10 years, but it is still somewhat outside the mainstream of the field. There has been a recent call for those developing vocabulary tests to apply professional standards to their work, especially in validating their instruments for specified purposes before releasing them for widespread use. A great deal of work on vocabulary assessment can be seen in terms of the somewhat problematic distinction between breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge. Breadth refers to assessing vocabulary size, based on a large sample of words from a frequency list. New research is raising questions about the suitability of word frequency norms derived from large corpora, the choice of the word family as the unit of analysis, the selection of appropriate test formats, and the role of guessing in test-taker performance. Depth of knowledge goes beyond the basic form-meaning link to consider other aspects of word knowledge. The concept of word association has played a dominant role in the design of such tests, but there is a need to create test formats to assess knowledge of word parts as well as a range of multi-word items apart from collocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary is regarded as an important part of communicative language ability and a significant predictor of second language proficiency. The relation between vocabulary knowledge and communicative language ability has important implications for L2 students, foreign language teachers and educational systems. Thus, many studies have been conducted to investigate this relation. However, there is scarce literature related to different factors which affect EFL learners' vocabulary knowledge. Hence, this study explored the relationship between motivation and vocabulary knowledge. 711 preparatory school students participated in the study. Language Learning Orientation Scale and Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) were utilized in the data collection process. Participants emphasized the pragmatic use of English (extrinsic motives) rather than intrinsic motives, so findings revealed a moderate level of self-determination. The results of the vocabulary levels test showed that the mean score of the total vocabulary knowledge was below the average. On the other hand, a significant relationship was found between learners' motivation and their vocabulary knowledge. The results implied that language teachers should pay attention to their learners' motivation levels in order to increase their vocabulary knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between the English vocabulary size of first language Cantonese speakers in Macau (N = 77) and engagement in extramural English activities. The 140-item Vocabulary Size Test was used to collect data on participants' vocabulary size and a 13-item questionnaire tapped into background learning experiences as well as participation in 16 extramural activities. Small correlations between vocabulary size and book reading, subtitled television viewing, non-subtitled online video viewing, level of education, study abroad experience, and travel abroad experience were found. A medium correlation between vocabulary size and language of instruction in secondary school was also found. A four variable sequential regression accounted for 26% of the variance in participants' vocabulary sizes, with book reading adding the most explanatory power after language of instruction in secondary school had been eliminated. The impact of extramural activities on vocabulary size and pedagogical implications for the Macau and similar contexts were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Institute for Language & Education Research / Gogaku Kyoiku Kenkyu Ronso is the property of Daito Bunka University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Electrónica de Psicología Iztacala is the property of Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract The purpose of this study is to equate and further validate three forms of the vocabulary size test (VST) created by Aizawa and Mochizuki (2010). These three forms, VST 1, 2, and 3, were administered to a cohort of 189 high school students ranging in age from 16 to 18 in April of their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year of high school. Although these alternate forms were designed to be of equal difficulty, formal equating of the three forms was never carried out. In order to verify whether gains in test scores were due to growth in vocabulary size or differences in difficulty among the three forms, a fourth form comprised of items selected from VST 1–3 was created and administered in December of year 3. The four test forms were then equated using Rasch analysis, placing persons and items on a single, uniform logit scale. The results indicated that (1) the three original forms of the VST all showed good fit to the Rasch model, (2) differences in test difficulty among the original three forms were minor, and (3) the four VST forms, linked via a single Rasch analysis, can be appropriately used for estimating gains in students’ VS across their high school career. In addition, follow-up analyses indicated considerable overlap in item difficulty among word frequency bands, suggesting that word frequency was not the sole indicator of difficulty of vocabulary items, and that learner progress in vocabulary learning tended to be uniform and parallel across all frequency bands. Overall, the study illustrates a method for creating a valid and reliable measure of growth in VS over an extended period of time and provides insight into the relationships among word frequency, word difficulty, and progress in vocabulary learning.

Previous research has shown that both input quantity and quality play a role in dual language learning. However, it is unclear whether input quantity factors (e.g., school input) and input quality factors (e.g., home media input) work similarly in the language development of bilinguals while other potential internal and external factors are controlled for. This paper addressed this issue through investigating the influence of input quantity and input quality factors, both at the individual and group levels, on morphosyntax, vocabulary size, and lexical access ability in the Kurdish-L1 and English-L2 of Kurdish–English bilingual adolescents. Data were collected via a battery of standardized and researcher-developed measures and a detailed questionnaire. The results from backward regressions revealed that higher parental Kurdish proficiency and more exposure to Kurdish input through siblings and reading activities were associated with better Kurdish morphosyntactic skill, while a larger Kurdish vocabulary size was predicted by more exposure to native-speaker input in Kurdish. Both more Kurdish input received in preschool/school and through Kurdish media were related to better lexical access ability in Kurdish. Further, more exposure to English input in preschool/school predicted better English morphosyntactic skill and a larger vocabulary size, whereas higher paternal English proficiency was associated with better lexical access ability in English. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that input quality was more important in explaining Kurdish morphosyntactic and vocabulary size skills and lexical access ability in both languages, while input quantity explained more variance in English morphosyntactic and vocabulary size skills. Out-of-class Kurdish input outweighed instructional input to a certain extent in relation to Kurdish skills and lexical access ability in English, while instructional English input was more important for English morphosyntax and vocabulary size.

Turkish-speaking dyzygotic twins (n = 21) and singletons (n = 23) were tested through a standard articulation test to observe whether their consonant articulations were related to their vocabulary sizes, recorded through CDI forms, at age 3;0. Twins were observed to lag behind their singleton peers and performed below the norm level in their production. Vocabulary size failed to predict twins' articulation scores although it predicted the scores of the singleton group. The results suggested that articulation was not related to vocabulary size in twins. Exposure to sibling language was discussed as an alternative risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connectives such as however and since play an important role for marking coherence relations in discourse and therefore are crucial for reading comprehension, which in turn is a strong predictor of academic success. Most research on the acquisition of connectives targeted younger children. Yet there is evidence that connective development extends well into adolescence and even adult speakers have difficulties with some coherence relations when they are conveyed by infrequent connectives bound to the written mode. In this paper, we tested the use of connectives encoding different coherence relations and bound to either the oral or the written modes. We studied the performance of native French-speaking teenagers (N  = 154, M age = 14.43, range: 12–19) in a cloze task and also assessed whether teenagers' vocabulary level and degree of exposure to print predicted the accuracy of connective use. Our findings show that the ability to use connectives appropriately increases with age. However, age played a lesser role compared to vocabulary knowledge and degree of exposure to print, thus indicating that lexicon size and reading habits are important factors explaining individual differences in the acquisition of connectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the complex relationships between language learning motivation, vocabulary learning strategies, and two components of second language vocabulary knowledge (i.e., vocabulary size and depth), within the framework of self-regulated learning. Responses to questionnaires were gathered from 185 secondary-level Korean adolescent learners of English as a foreign language, regarding their motivation and vocabulary learning strategy use; additionally, the results of their vocabulary size and depth tests were collected. We adopted structural equation modeling for analysis, with vocabulary learning strategies consisting of memory, cognitive, and metacognitive categories, and vocabulary knowledge consisting of vocabulary size and depth. The results showed that motivation directly predicted vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary knowledge, and indirectly predicted vocabulary knowledge via vocabulary learning strategies. When further classified, intrinsic motivation was found to have a stronger influence on the use of vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary knowledge than extrinsic motivation. We discuss the implications of increasing learners’ motivation and repertoire of strategies for improving vocabulary size and depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This study compared two tests of second language (L2) depth of vocabulary knowledge, namely the word association test (WAT) and vocabulary knowledge scale (VKS), with respect to their associations with vocabulary size. The same relationships were further examined separately for the five word-frequency bands of the vocabulary size test. Method. 115 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners who were native speakers of Persian took the WAT, VKS, and Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT). The selected participants were undergraduates who ranged from freshmen to junior and were both male (n=47) and female (n=68) students. Results. The outcomes of multiple linear regression analyses indicated that: (a) while both measures of vocabulary depth were predictive of the VLT, the WAT had a higher association with the dependent variable; (b) both the WAT and VKS were predictive of the high-frequency vocabulary, with the relationships being more significant for the WAT; (c) the WAT could significantly predict the mid-frequency vocabulary, whereas the VKS had no significant contribution; and (d) while the VKS was significantly associated with the low-frequency vocabulary, the WAT had no significant contribution to the prediction of this level. Implications. The implications of the findings are interpreted with reference to the suitability of both the WAT and VKS depending on the type of input, expected response, and desired frequency of the target words.

Copyright of International Journal of Chinese Language Education is the property of Education University of Hong Kong and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)