Lexical Access Patterns of Second Language Speakers of English
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2019-1904-03Keywords:
Lexical Access, Semantic Mapping, Vocabulary Learning, Mental Lexicon, Semantic RelationsAbstract
Vocabulary plays a major role in concept formation, acculturation, articulation, and all aspects of learning. Unfortunately, although learners may have internalized complex vocabulary through formal learning, they may not have the ability to retrieve known words and concepts or have access to the right words, or lexical access, effectively. This study explores the lexical access patterns of second language speakers of English (ESL). Fifty students from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, participated in this research. Twenty-five represented the more proficient ESL speakers whereas the other 25 represented the less proficient ESL speakers. Four pieces of paper, each with a high-frequency word (i.e., “man”, “people”, “time”, “day”) printed at the centre of the paper, were distributed to the participants as stimuli for them to create four sets of semantic maps. This paper thus presents a qualitative analysis of the semantic mapping of the word “man” and results show that English language proficiency does affect the way participants activate the words from their mental lexicon. The frequency of the words that were activated from the word “man” in the participants’ environment also affects the mapping. The semantic maps produced by the participants reflect ESL speakers’ pattern of lexical access, particularly in the manner the words are categorised in their mental lexicon. This study proposes that semantic mapping activity can be used to reflect and analyse ESL speakers’ vocabulary development, as well as to reflect ESL speakers’ weaknesses in accessing words and their thought patterns in the English language.References
Ahmed Hamza, F.S., Mohd Yasin, M.S. & Aladdin, A. (2015). The use of vocabulary learning strategies among Sudanese EFL learners. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research. 2(6). 93-102.
Al-Mahbashi, A. Mohd Noor, N. & Amir, Z. (2015). The effect of data driven learning on receptive vocabulary knowledge of Yemeni University learners. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies. 21(3), 13-24.
Alqahtani, M. (2015). The importance of vocabulary in language learning and how to be taught. International Journal of Teaching and Education. 3, 21-34. doi: 10.20472/TE.2015.3.3.002.
Asgari, A. & Mustapha, G. (2011). The type of vocabulary learning strategies used by ESL students in University Putra Malaysia. English Language Teaching. 4(2), 84-90.
Avrianti, N. (2015). Improving students' reading comprehension by using semantic mapping in pre-reading: A classroom action research to the tenth grade students of a senior high school in Mempawah. WKS: Studies on English Language and Education. 2.
Ayala, J. (1984). An investigation of the effect of bilingual memory on learning vocabulary through the device of semantic mapping. University Microfilms International, 1-35.
Collins, A.M. & Loftus, E. (1975). A spreading-activation theory of semantic processing. Psychological Review. 82(6), 407-428.
Collins, A.M. & Quillian, M. R. (1969). Retrieval time from semantic memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour. 8, 240-248.
Collins, A.M. & Quillian, M. R. (1972). Experiments on semantic memory and language comprehension. In L. W. Gregg (Ed.). Cognition in Learning and Memory (pp.100-110). New York: Wiley.
Chia, H. (2006). Semantic development in ESL vocabulary acquisition. ProQuest Information and Learning Company. 15-17
Dilek, Y. & Yürük, N. (2013). Using semantic mapping technique in vocabulary teaching at pre-intermediate level. SciVerse ScienceDirect. 70, 1531-1544. DOI:
1016/j.sbspro.2013.01.221
Duñabeitia, J.A. & Molinaro, N. (2013). The wide-open doors to lexical access. Frontiers in Psychology. 4, 1-2. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00471
Field, J. (2003). Lexical storage and lexical access. In Psycholinguistics A Resource Book for Students (pp. 15-17). New York: Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane.
Forster, K.I. & Chambers, S. (1973). Lexical access and naming time. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour. 12, 627-635.
Gerstenberg, A. (2015). A sociolinguistic perspective on vocabulary richness in a seven-year comparison of older adults. Language Development: The Lifespan Perspective.
Ghanbari, M. & Marzban, A. (2014). Effect of extensive reading on incidental vocabulary retention. Science Direct. 116, 3854-3858.
Gholami, J. & Khezrlou, S. (2013). Semantic and Thematic List Learning of Second Language Vocabulary. The CATESOL Journal. 25 (1), 151-162.
Granham, A. (1985). Recognizing Words. In Psycholinguistics Central Topic (pp. 43-45). New York: Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane.
Heimlich, J.E. & Pittelman, S. D. (1986). Semantic Mapping: Classroom Applications. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association.
Heyman, T., Van Rensbergen, B., Storms, G., Hutchison, K.A. & De Deyne, S. (2014). The Influence of Working Memory Load on Semantic Priming. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. 2-7.
Howes, D.H. & Solomon, R.L. (1951). Visual duration threshold as a function of word probability. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 41, 401-410.
Jiang, N. (2000). Lexical representation and development in a second Language. Applied Linguistics. 21(1), 47-77.
Joyse, P. (2015). L2 vocabulary learning and testing: the use of L1 translation versus L2 definition. The Language Learning Journal. doi: 10.1080/09571736.2015.1028088
Kasim, U. & Wahyuni, S. (2016). Implementation of the semantic mapping strategy for teaching reading comprehension. English Education Journal (EEJ.) 7(1), 46-60.
Kaur, N. (2013). A case study of tertiary learners’ capability in lexical knowledge. GEMA Online™ Journal of Language Studies. 13(1), 113-126.
Kaur, N. (2015). Making meaning of vocabulary learning: seizing opportunities at opportune moments. GEMA Online™ Journal of Language Studies. 15(2), 1-6.
Kavitha, V. & Kannan, S.P. (2015). A comprehensive overview of bilingual mental lexicon and vocabulary learning: A psycholinguistic approach in language pedagogy. International Journal of English: Literature, Language and Skills. 4(1), 121-125
Khairudin, R., Valipour, G.M. & Zainah, A.Z. (2012). Emotions as intermediaries for implicit memory retrieval processing: Evidence using word and picture stimuli. Asian Social Science. 8(10), 58-67. doi: 10.5539/ass.v8n10p58
Kulikova, O. (2015). Vocabulary learning strategies and beliefs about vocabulary learning: a study of beginning university students of Russian in the United States. IOWA Research Online.
Maera, Paul (2009). Connected Words: Word Associations and Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition. Amsterdam: John Benjamins
Mandler, G. (1980). Recognizing: the judgment of previous occurrence. Psychological Review. 87(3), 252-271.
Marslen-Wilson, W.D. (1975). Sentence perception as an interactive parallel process. Science. 189, 226-228.
McAleese, R. (1998). Coming to Know: The Role of The Concept Map - Mirror, Assistant, Master? CD-ROM proceedings.
Mohd Nordin, N.R., Stapa, S.H. & Darus, S. (2015) Are my words good enough to eat?: The teaching and learning of specialized vocabulary in culinary studies. e-Bangi Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. Special Issue 1(2015).
Mukoroli, J. (2011). Effective vocabulary teaching strategies for the English for academic purposes ESL Classroom. MA TESOL Collection.
Nadarajan, S. (2011). The challenges of getting L2 learners to use academic words in their writings. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching. 8(2), 184-200.
Ng, L.L. & Sappathy, S.M. (2011). L2 Vocabulary Acquisition: The Impact of Negotiated Interaction. GEMA Online™ Journal of Language Studies. 11(2), 5-20.
Plat, R., Lowie, W. & De Bot, K. (2018). Word Naming in the L1 and L2: A Dynamic Perspective on Automatization and the Degree of Semantic Involvement in Naming. Frontiers in Psychology. 8, 22-56. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02256
Sadeghi, K., Ellis, R. & Khezrlou, S. (2017). Effects of computer-assisted glosses on EFL learners' vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension in three learning conditions. System. 65, 104-116.
Scarborough, D.L., Cortese, C. & Scarborough, H.S. (1977). Frequency and repetition effects in lexical memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance. 3, 1-17.
Steele, S.C. & Mills, M.T. (2011). Vocabulary intervention for school-age children with language impairment: A review of evidence and good practice. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. 27, 354–370. doi: 10.1177/0265659011412247
Sulaiman, N.A., Salehuddin K. & Khairudin, R. (2018). Academic word list
knowledge of Malaysian ESL Undergraduates. GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies. 18(4), 1-14. doi:10.17576/gema-2018-1804-01
Teng, F. (2016). Incidental vocabulary acquisition from reading-only and reading-while-listening: a multi-dimensional approach. Journal Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. doi: 10.1080/17501229.2016.1203328.
Zhu, Y. (2015). Revisiting word exposure frequency and incidental vocabulary acquisition. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 5(5), 968-973. doi: 10.17507/tpls.0505.11
Webb, S. & Chang, A.S. (2014). Second language vocabulary learning through extensive reading with audio support: How do frequency and distribution of occurrence affect learning? SAGE Journals. 19(6).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
If the article is accepted for publication, copyright of this article will be vested to UKM Press, National University of Malaysia (UKM).
All articles published in this journal are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, unless otherwise stated.
