Measuring Vocabulary Knowledge for Secondary Graduate Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1601.29Keywords:
vocabulary size, vocabulary knowledge, Vocabulary Levels Test, Updated Vocabulary Levels TestAbstract
This study examines the extent of vocabulary knowledge among Saudi students who have recently graduated from secondary school, and its potential connection to their performance in English. The study involved 83 participants taking the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test by Webb et al. (2017). The findings reveal that the mean score of the test is below expectations: minimum scores suggested by Webb et al. (2017) are 29/30 for the first three word levels (1,000, 2,000, and 3,000) and 24/30 for the last two word levels (4,000 and 5,000). However, the average scores for participants in the study are 22.6/30 for the 1,000-word level, 16.4/30 for the 2,000-word level, 9.3/30 for the 3,000-word level, 8.9/30 for the 4,000-word level, and 7.7/30 for the 5,000-word level. These low scores could indicate an inadequate performance in English and imply that participants will struggle with receptive and productive skills. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the EFL curriculum from K-12, especially for teaching vocabulary, is strongly recommended. Moreover, the adequacy of learners’ vocabulary knowledge will be a crucial boost for their performance in communicative tasks.
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