Integrating Concordancing into Vocabulary Learning for EFL Primary School Students
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Date
2011-03-??
Authors
余立棠
劉顯親
張俊盛
張寶玉
Li-Tang Yu, Hsien-Chin Liou, Jason S. Chang, Viphavee Vongpumivitch
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
英語學系
Department of English, NTNU
Department of English, NTNU
Abstract
先前研究指出：教育程度在高中（含）以上的學生使用網路字詞檢索系統能有效地提昇單字知識與寫作技巧，但少有研究檢視國小學童使用字詞檢索系統之學習成效。本研究研發一套專為臺灣國小學童設計的中英雙語字詞檢索系統，其語料乃參照國小英語課本句子。研究目的在於調查學童使用此系統後，學習單字之成就。為了觀察國小學童的單字學習歷程，我們採用一長期研究方法—「時間序列法」，進行為期二十八週之研究。我們要求七位來自同一班級的五年級生在使用字詞檢索系統前、期間、與之後，提供目標單字的意義、用法，並造句。研究測量工具包括單字測驗、背景問卷和探討受試者使用心得之訪談。研究結果顯示：受試者練習檢索系統期間，即能顯著地提昇單字知識，但在研究後期稍稍退步。受試者並指出使用字詞檢索系統學習單字之好惡。本文最後亦提出教學與後續研究之建議。
Previous studies have shown that web-based concordancing is advantageous for tertiary-level learners or above in improving their vocabulary knowledge and writing skills; however, its effects on primary school students are less well known as relatively little research has been conducted for this particular age group. Therefore, In the present study, a Chinese-English concordancer specifically designed for Taiwanese primary school students was developed with a corpus taken from sentences modeling their English textbooks. The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of web-based concordancing on children’s vocabulary learning. In order to observe the development of vocabulary knowledge, one of the longitudinal designs, the time-series design (Mellow, Reeder, & Forster, 1996), was adopted for 28 weeks long. In the study, seven fifth graders in an intact class were required to provide the word meanings, usage of the target words and produce sentences with the words before, during, and after the concordancing consultation as the treatment. Measurements included vocabulary tests, a background questionnaire, and a final interview about students’ perceptions about the concordancing learning. The results displayed that the young participants significantly improved their knowledge of the target words immediately after using the concordancing, but regressed a bit at the end of the study. In addition, the students also indicated the aspects they favored as well as the troubles they encountered during the concordancing learning. Finally, pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research are also provided.
Previous studies have shown that web-based concordancing is advantageous for tertiary-level learners or above in improving their vocabulary knowledge and writing skills; however, its effects on primary school students are less well known as relatively little research has been conducted for this particular age group. Therefore, In the present study, a Chinese-English concordancer specifically designed for Taiwanese primary school students was developed with a corpus taken from sentences modeling their English textbooks. The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of web-based concordancing on children’s vocabulary learning. In order to observe the development of vocabulary knowledge, one of the longitudinal designs, the time-series design (Mellow, Reeder, & Forster, 1996), was adopted for 28 weeks long. In the study, seven fifth graders in an intact class were required to provide the word meanings, usage of the target words and produce sentences with the words before, during, and after the concordancing consultation as the treatment. Measurements included vocabulary tests, a background questionnaire, and a final interview about students’ perceptions about the concordancing learning. The results displayed that the young participants significantly improved their knowledge of the target words immediately after using the concordancing, but regressed a bit at the end of the study. In addition, the students also indicated the aspects they favored as well as the troubles they encountered during the concordancing learning. Finally, pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research are also provided.