Review

Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment

Volume: 1 Number: 1 January 31, 2018
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Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment

Abstract

This article reviews empirical studies from the past decade in learning second language (L2) vocabulary from context clues. Previous studies conclude that guessing unknown words from context clues is not an effective vocabulary learning strategy. Rather, it should be employed as a complementary approach. In alignment with this standpoint, review of the most recent empirical studies reveals that merely relying on context clues does not lead to the most effective L2 vocabulary learning. The learning result highly correlates with the learners’ language proficiency. However, recent studies did not downplay the role of incidental vocabulary learning from reading. More researchers explore the appropriate types of vocabulary for inferring from the contexts and the corresponding pedagogical strategies. This article concludes with pedagogical implications of teaching L2 vocabulary in digital environment.

Keywords

References

  1. Cobb, T. (1999). Breadth and depth of vocabulary acquisition with hands-on concordancing. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 12(4), 345-360.
  2. Davies, Mark. (2008-) The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA): 560 million words, 1990-present. Available online at https://corpus.byu.edu/coca/.
  3. Ebrahimain, A. & Nabifar, N. (2015). The effect of three vocabulary learning strategies of word-part, word-card and context-clue on Iranian high school students’ immediate and delayed English vocabulary learning and retention. The Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(17), 42-63.
  4. Elgort, I. & Warren, P. (2014). L2 vocabulary learning from reading: Explicit and tacit lexical knowledge and the role of learner and item variables. Language Learning, 64(2), 365-414.
  5. Folse, K. S. (2004). Vocabulary myth: Applying second language research to classroom teaching. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
  6. Golonka, E. et al. (2015). The Role of Context and Cognitive Effort in Vocabulary Learning: A Study of Intermediate‐Level Learners of Arabic. The Modern Language Journal, 99(1), 19-39.
  7. Hamada, M. (2014). The role of morphological and contextual information in L2 lexical inference. The Modern Language Journal, 98(4), 992-1005.
  8. Horst, M., Cobb, T. & Nicolae, I. (2005). Expanding academic vocabulary with an interactive on-line database. Language Learning & Technology, 9(2), 90-110.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Studies on Education

Journal Section

Review

Authors

Xiaoli Yu *
University of Central Florida
0000-0002-8643-1084
United States

Veysel Altunel
National Defense University
0000-0002-4562-1594
Türkiye

Publication Date

January 31, 2018

Submission Date

January 6, 2018

Acceptance Date

January 14, 2018

Published in Issue

Year 2018 Volume: 1 Number: 1

APA
Yu, X., & Altunel, V. (2018). Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 1(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.375803
AMA
1.Yu X, Altunel V. Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment. JETOL. 2018;1(1):1-12. doi:10.31681/jetol.375803
Chicago
Yu, Xiaoli, and Veysel Altunel. 2018. “Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment”. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning 1 (1): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.375803.
EndNote
Yu X, Altunel V (January 1, 2018) Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning 1 1 1–12.
IEEE
[1]X. Yu and V. Altunel, “Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment”, JETOL, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–12, Jan. 2018, doi: 10.31681/jetol.375803.
ISNAD
Yu, Xiaoli - Altunel, Veysel. “Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment”. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning 1/1 (January 1, 2018): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.375803.
JAMA
1.Yu X, Altunel V. Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment. JETOL. 2018;1:1–12.
MLA
Yu, Xiaoli, and Veysel Altunel. “Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment”. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, vol. 1, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 1-12, doi:10.31681/jetol.375803.
Vancouver
1.Xiaoli Yu, Veysel Altunel. Second Language Vocabulary Learning From Context Clues: A Review of Research in the Past Decade and Implementation in Digital Environment. JETOL. 2018 Jan. 1;1(1):1-12. doi:10.31681/jetol.375803