A Comparative Study On Two Approaches To Enhancing Vocabulary Learning

Vocabulary is the foundation stone of a language. Without vocabulary, nobody can express the meaning of language. Without effective vocabulary learning, it'll become more difficult to learn language knowledge and to train communicative ability, such as listening, writing, reading, and speaking. In the field of second language vocabulary acquisition, there are still no definite answers about how vocabulary can best be learnt or taught. This study aimed to investigate this question with 105 Chinese senior high school EFL students. In particular, two approaches were examined:(1) focused vocabulary learning before reading (students learning vocabulary themselves from word lists), (2) vocabulary instruction in English after reading.Pre-tests and post-tests of the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale were administrated and the one-way repeated-measures ANOVA of the participants' scores on the three administrations of the VKS was conducted to identify any significant difference between the two groups at each test administration. The results indicated that both approaches resulted in significant vocabulary gains, but focusing on vocabulary learning before reading led to greater gains, both in terms of the number of words acquired and in the depth of word knowledge acquired. The results were interpreted in relation to learning attention, learning style, and culture context.