Word Difficulty and Learning among Native Arabic Learners of EFL

Autor/inn/en	Masrai, Ahmed; Milton, James
Titel	Word Difficulty and Learning among Native Arabic Learners of EFL
Quelle	In: English Language Teaching, 8 (2015) 6, S.1-10 (10 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1916-4742
Schlagwörter	English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Vocabulary Development; Syllables; Native Language; Translation; Foreign Countries; Textbooks; High School Students; Word Frequency; Workbooks; Content Analysis; Correlation; Predictor Variables; Regression (Statistics); Saudi Arabia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Wortschatzarbeit; Silbe; Ausland; Textbook; Text book; Schulbuch; Lehrbuch; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Word analysis; Frequency; Wortanalyse; Häufigkeit; Arbeitsbuch; Inhaltsanalyse; Korrelation; Prädiktor; Regression; Regressionsanalyse; Saudi-Arabien
Abstract	This study investigates word difficulty and learning among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Saudi Arabia. Difficulty factors examined in the study include repetition of words in learners' EFL textbooks, word length and parts of speech, and adds a further consideration which is underexplored in the literature; word translation equivalents in the learners' first language (L1). A total of 156 native Arabic participants were given a vocabulary test in which they had to identify whether a word was known to them and then to supply the meaning of the word in their L1 or L2. The findings showed a large effect of repetition on word learnability, accounting for 60% of the variance, followed by translation equivalence, which explained some 23% of the variance. Conversely, word length and the parts of speech element provided non-significant contributions to the overall model of learning. Thus, the results indicate a durable effect of repetition and a modest influence of L1 translation equivalent on the L2 vocabulary learning, regardless of the number of syllables in a word or the part of speech element. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Canadian Center of Science and Education. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, OH M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-642-2606; Fax: 416-642-2608; e-mail: elt@ccsenet.org; Web site: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01