Effects of Lexical Elaborative Devices on Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition: Evidence from Reading

The present study investigates the effects of explicit and implicit lexical elaboration devices on the acquisition of L۲ vocabulary acquisition through reading by ۹۹ Iranian freshman students in Iran. The primary research questions are whether (۱) explicit and implicit lexical elaboration devices have an effect on L۲ vocabulary acquisition through reading, and whether (۲) two specific types of lexical elaboration devices, explicit and implicit, differentially affect L۲ vocabulary acquisition. Participants were exposed to ۲۶ low-frequency target words (TWs) by reading one of the three versions of an experimental text containing these words. The study adopted two factorial univariate analyses of variance design with lexical elaboration with three levels (explicit, implicit, and unelaborated) as the independent variable and form- and meaning-recognition posttests as two dependent variables. The results were: (a) lexical elaboration devices did not aid form recognition of L۲ vocabulary; (b) lexical elaboration devices assisted in meaning recognition of L۲ vocabulary; and (c) neither explicit nor implicit lexical elaboration devices seemed to make a difference in the acquisition of either the forms or meanings of the  previously unknown words in the text. Pedagogical implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are proposed.

Keywords:

input modification , explicit , Implicit , lexical elaboration , elaborative devices , meaning recognition , form recognition