Exploring The Effects Of Integrated Reading-writing Tasks On Incidental L2 Vocabulary Acquisition Among English-majors

Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition(IVA)refers to that the L2 learners' attention is not focused on vocabulary but their vocabulary knowledge is acquired incidentally in the meaningful process of communication or language learning(Miao,2013).Being a kind of vocabulary cognitive activity,it occurs unintentionally when L2learners' attention is directed to focus on a particular language learning activity(Miao,2013:86).In recent years,vocabulary has been found to be a “byproduct” of reading based on a large body of previous studies(Huckin & Coady,1999;Webb,2008),which means that L2 learners can acquire vocabulary incidentally by guessing.So far,however,few studies have been conducted on reading-writing tasks.Thus,the present study tentatively investigates the effects of integrated reading-writing tasks on IVA and vocabulary retention.90 third-year English majors from some western Chinese university participated in this study.They were divided into three groups.Each group was assigned to one type of task after reading a same article.They either(a)completed four reading comprehension questions;(b)wrote a summary,or(c)wrote a response essay and then completed the same vocabulary measures.This study consisted of prior test,immediate post-test,and delayed post-test.The results of immediate and delayed post-tests were measured by a vocabulary test based on Wesche and Paribakt's Vocabulary Knowledge Scale(1996).Data collected from the research was put into SPSS 20.0 for detailed analysis.Additionally,24 subjects elected randomly from each group received an interview on the effects of reading-only task and integrated reading-writing tasks on L2 vocabulary acquisition.The present study found:(1)compared to reading-only task,integrated reading-writing tasks seem to have better effects on IVA and on vocabulary retention(F=3.227,df.=2,P=0.044<0.05 in immediate post-test;P=3.200,df.=2,p=0.046<0.05 in delayed post-test).And the results partly support “Involvement Load Hypothesis”;(2)two types of integrated reading-writing tasks,namely,summary writing andresponse essay,seem to have almost equivalent effects on IVA and on vocabulary retention(P=0.616>0.05 in immediate post-test and P=0.464>0.05 in delayed post-test);and(3)there exists a consistently strong positive relationship between language proficiency and IVA(P=0<0.05,r=0.728 in immediate post-test and P=0<0.05,r=0.491 in delayed post-test): higher language proficiency can lead to better vocabulary acquisition and retention in integrated reading-writing tasks.The present study yields the following implications:(1)it provides a new insight into research on IVA;(2)it enriches the present literature on integrated reading-writing tasks;and(3)it offers some guidance to teachers on L2 vocabulary teaching in that they should use tasks with higher involvement load and with high-frequency words so as to consolidate the words through repeated rehearsal in case the memory of them would fade.