Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 13. Number 4 December 2022 Pp. 325 340
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol13no4.21
The Representation of Vocabulary Knowledge Aspects in Saudi EFL Textbooks
Hassan Ahmed Alshumrani
GRC Department
The Applied College
King Abdulaziz University
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Corresponding Author: halshumrani1@kau.edu.sa
Nesreen Masoud Al-Ahmadi
English Language Institute
King Abdulaziz University
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Email: nmealahmadi@kau.edu.sa
Received: 09/21/2022 Accepted:11/22/2022 Published: 12/15/2022
Abstract:
Vocabulary growth is of great importance, and textbooks are the main sources of vocabulary learning for many EFL learners. Previous research has shown that learning vocabulary involves a mastery of several knowledge dimensions. Little research, however, has focused on vocabulary knowledge dimensions in EFL textbooks. It remains unclear how the different word knowledge dimensions are addressed in Saudi EFL textbooks and whether there is a variation among the textbooks in addressing the different dimensions. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating how the different vocabulary knowledge dimensions are addressed in the local Saudi EFL textbooks. It investigates the activities in English textbooks that give attention to vocabulary to explore the amount of attention given to each dimension in a particular activity. To achieve this, all the 12 EFL textbooks used in primary and middle Saudi schools were analysed. Applying Nation’s (2013) framework of word knowledge, a total of 1181 activities were examined. The findings showed that textbooks for primary school levels place greater emphasis on form, followed by meaning and finally use, while in intermediate-level textbooks, the greatest attention is given to meaning, followed by use and then form. The results also reveal variations among the textbooks in the amount of attention given to the different vocabulary knowledge aspects. Pedagogical implications for textbook writers are suggested.
Keywords: English as a foreign language, Saudi EFL textbooks, vocabulary knowledge, vocabulary teaching
Cite as: Alshumrani, H. A., & Al-Ahmadi, N. M (2022). The Representation of Vocabulary Knowledge Aspects in Saudi EFL
Textbooks. Arab World English Journal, 13 (4) 325 340.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol13no4.21
References
Adolphs, S., & Schmitt, N. (2003). Lexical coverage of spoken discourse. Applied linguistics, 24(4), 425-438. Alderson, J. (2005) Assessing reading. Cambridge University Press.
Alsaif, A., & Milton, J. (2012). Vocabulary input from school textbooks as a potential contributor to the small vocabulary uptake gained by English as a foreign language learners in Saudi Arabia. The Language Learning Journal, 40(1), 21-33, doi: 10.1080/09571736.2012.658221.
Brown, D. (2011). What aspects of vocabulary knowledge do textbooks give attention to ? Language Teaching Research, 15(1), 83–97. doi: 10.1177/1362168810383345.
Catalan, R., & Francisco, R. (2008). Vocabulary input in EFL textbooks. Revista española de lingüística aplicada, 21, 147–165.
Dabbagh, A., & Enayat, M. (2019). The role of vocabulary breadth and depth in predicting second language descriptive writing performance. The Language Learning Journal, 47(5), 575-590.
Ellis, N. (1994). Consciousness in second language learning: Psychological perspectives on the role of conscious processes in vocabulary acquisition. AILA Review, 11, 37-56.
González-Fernández, B., & Schmitt, N. (2017). Vocabulary acquisition. In S. Loewen, & M. Sato, (eds), The Routledge handbook of instructed second language acquisition (pp. 280-298). Routledge.
Llach, M. D.P.A. (2011) Lexical errors and accuracy in foreign language writing. Multilingual Matters.
Matsuoka, W., & Hirsh, D. (2010). Vocabulary learning through reading : Does an ELT course book provide good opportunities ? Reading in a Foreign Language, 22(1), 56–70.
McLean, S., Stewart, J., & Batty, A. O. (2020). Predicting L2 reading proficiency with modalities of vocabulary knowledge: A bootstrapping approach. Language Testing, 37(3), 389–411. doi: 10.1177/0265532219898380.
Milton, J. (2008). Vocabulary uptake from informal learning tasks. Language Learning Journal, 36(2), 227–237.
Milton, J. (2013). Measuring the contribution of vocabulary knowledge to proficiency in the four skills. In C. Bardel, C. Lindqvist, & B. Laufer (eds.) L2 vocabulary acquisition, knowledge and Use: New Perspectives on Assessment and Corpus Analysis. (pp. 57–78). Eurosla Monograph Series 2.
Nation, P. (2013) Learning Vocabulary in Another Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Nation, P. (2001) Learning Vocabulary in another Language. Cambridge University Press.
Nation, P., & Webb, S. (2011). Researching and Analyzing Vocabulary. Heinle, Cengage Learning.
Nation, P., & Meara, P. (2010) ‘Vocabulary. In N. Schmitt (ed.), An Introduction to Applied Linguistics (pp. 34-52). Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.
Neary-Sundquist, C.A. (2015). Aspects of vocabulary knowledge in German textbooks’, Foreign Language Annals, 48(1), 68-81.
Nordlund, M., & Norberg, C. (2020). Vocabulary in EFL teaching materials for young learners Marie N. International Journal of Language Studies, 14(1), 89–116.
Noreillie, A. S., Kestemont, B., & Heylen, K. (2018). Vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension at an intermediate level in English and French as foreign languages: An approximate replication study Vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension at an intermediate level in English and French as fore. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 169(1), 212-231. doi: 10.1075/itl.00013.nor.
O’Loughlin, R. (2012). Tuning in to vocabulary frequency in coursebooks. RELC Journal, 43(2), 255-269.
Pellicer-Sánchez, A. (2016). Incidental L2 vocabulary acquisition from and while reading: An eye-tracking study. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 38(1), 97-130. doi: 10.1017/S0272263115000224.
Qian, D. (1999). Assessing the roles of depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension’, Canadian modern language review, 56(2), 282-308.
Read, J. (1993). The development of a new measure of L2 vocabulary knowledge. Language Testing, 10(3), 355-371.
Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Schmitt, N. (1998). Tracking the incremental acquisition of second language vocabulary: A longitudinal study. Language learning, 48(2), 281-317.
Schmitt, N. (2000). Vocabulary in language teaching. Ernst Klett Sprachen.
Schmitt, N. (2008). Instructed second language vocabulary learning. Language teaching research, 12(3), 329-363.
Schmitt, N. (2010) Researching vocabulary: A vocabulary research manual. Palgrave Macmillan.
Schmitt, N., & Meara, P. (1997). Researching Vocabulary through a Word Knowledge Framework. Word Associations and Verbal Suffixes. Studies in second language acquisition, 19(1), 17-36.
Schmitt, N., Jiang, X., & Grabe, W. (2011). The percentage of words known in a text and reading comprehension. The Modern Language Journal, 95(1), 26-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01146.x.
Schuth, E., Judith, K., & Weinert, S. (2017). The influence of academic vocabulary knowledge on school performance’, Learning and Instruction, 49(0959–4752), 157–165.
Sinatra, R., Zygouris-Coe, V., & Dasinger, S.B. (2012). Preventing a vocabulary lag: What lessons are learned from research’, Reading & writing quarterly, 28(4), 333-357.
Sun, Y, & Dang, T. N. Y. (2020). Vocabulary in high-school EFL textbooks : Texts and learner knowledge. System, 93, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.system.2020.102279.
Uchihara, T., & Clenton, J. (2020). Investigating the role of vocabulary size in second language speaking ability. Language Teaching Research, 24(4), 540-556.
Uchihara, T., & Clenton, J. (2022). The role of spoken vocabulary knowledge in second language speaking proficiency. The Language Learning Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2080856
Vafaee, P., & Suzuki, Y. (2020). The relative significance of syntactic knowledge and vocabulary knowledge in second language listening ability. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42(2), 383–410. doi: 10.1017/S0272263119000676
Vu, D.V., & Michel, M. (2021). An exploratory study on the aspects of vocabulary knowledge addressed in EAP textbooks’, Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10, 1–15.
Webb, S. (2005). Receptive and productive vocabulary learning: The effects of reading and writing on word knowledge. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 27(1), 33–52. doi: 10.1017/S0272263105050023.
Webb, S. (2013). Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge. In C. Chapelle, (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (pp. 1656-1663). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
Yanagisawa, A., & Webb, S. (2019). Measuring the depth of vocabulary knowledge. In S. Webb (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of vocabulary studies (pp. 371–386) New York, NY: Routledge. https:// doi.org/10.4324/9780429291586-24
Zeeland, H. V., & Schmitt, N. (2013). Incidental vocabulary acquisition through L2 listening : A dimensions approach. System, 41(3), 609–624. doi: 10.1016/j.system.2013.07.012.
Zhang, S., & Zhang, X. (2022). The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and L2 reading/listening comprehension: A meta-analysis. Language Teaching Research, 26(4), 696-725.