Is Frequency Enough?: The Frequency Model in Vocabulary Size Testing

Autor/in	Hashimoto, Brett James
Titel	Is Frequency Enough?: The Frequency Model in Vocabulary Size Testing
Quelle	In: Language Assessment Quarterly, 18 (2021) 2, S.171-187 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1543-4303
DOI	10.1080/15434303.2020.1860058
Schlagwörter	Word Frequency; Vocabulary Development; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; English (Second Language); Construct Validity; Correlation; Language Tests; North American English; Computational Linguistics; Prediction; Models; Christianity; Foreign Countries; Training; Test Items; Religious Education; Utah; Mexico + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Word analysis; Frequency; Wortanalyse; Häufigkeit; Wortschatzarbeit; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Korrelation; Language test; Sprachtest; Amerikanisches Englisch; Linguistics; Computerlinguistik; Vorhersage; Analogiemodell; Christentum; Ausland; Ausbildung; Test content; Testaufgabe; Kirchliche Erziehung; Religionserziehung; Religionspädagogik; Mexiko
Abstract	Modern vocabulary size tests are generally based on the notion that the more frequent a word is in a language, the more likely a learner will know that word. However, this assumption has been seldom questioned in the literature concerning vocabulary size tests. Using the Vocabulary of American-English Size Test (VAST) based on the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), 403 English language learners were tested on a 10% systematic random sample of the first 5,000 most frequent words from that corpus. Pearson correlation between Rasch item difficulty (the probability that test-takers will know a word) and frequency was only r = 0.50 (r[superscript 2] = 0.25). This moderate correlation indicates that the frequency of a word can only predict which words are known with only a limited degree of and that other factors are also affecting the order of acquisition of vocabulary. Additionally, using vocabulary levels/bands of 1,000 words as part of the structure of vocabulary size tests is shown to be questionable as well. These findings call into question the construct validity of modern vocabulary size tests. However, future confirmatory research is necessary to comprehensively determine the degree to which frequency of words and vocabulary size of learners are related. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01