Incidental vocabulary learning strategy in second language acquisition

INCIDENTAL VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGY IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Nguyen Thi Bich Duyen M Ed Abstract This article aims to provide a digest of previous illuminating research that addresses incide[.]

INCIDENTAL VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGY IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Nguyen Thi Bich Duyen - M.Ed Abstract This article aims to provide a digest of previous illuminating research that addresses incidental vocabulary acquisition over the past decades and a review of some crucial aspects related to vocabulary retention in second language acquisition By analyzing related theoretical backgrounds, this literature review focuses on the distinction between intentional vocabulary learning and incidental vocabulary learning, suggested implication of effective strategies targeted at boosting incidental lexical gains, and the threshold level for incidental vocabulary acquisition In addition, this article warrants further investigation in relation to effective sources for incidental vocabulary learning, and integration of both intentional and incidental vocabulary learning to improve vocabulary acquisition These topics of interest would further enrich the current research scope related to L2 incidental vocabulary learning Keywords: vocabulary acquisition, incidental vocabulary learning, intentional vocabulary learning, extensive reading, glosses Introduction It has been long acknowledged that vocabulary is of prime importance in second language learning, and plays a role as building blocks that learners have to accumulate in the very first stage of language acquisition before learning grammar to make phrases and complete sentences Wilkins (1972) argued that little sense can be made without grammar, but it makes no sense at all without vocabulary The importance of vocabulary was also highlighted by Ahmad (2012), who claimed that building a rich repertoire of lexical items in English is conducive to developing four language skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening Therefore, if learners aim to achieve high language proficiency, they are required to develop adequate vocabulary knowledge For the past few decades, vocabulary learning has captured the attention of teachers and researchers around the globe who have conducted a great deal of research to delve into strategies and approaches to make ease on the language learning process for learners and employ the most efficient language teaching strategies in classrooms One of the critical debates in vocabulary acquisition is around intentional and incidental vocabulary learning that have been discussed and advanced as two primary approaches leading to easier retrieval of words Having said that, there have been controversies regarding the effectiveness of intentional and incidental vocabulary learning strategies, so further investigation is still needed In the Vietnamese context, there have been a number of studies carried out to investigate the most effective vocabulary learning strategies for L2 learners However, most of them predominantly focus on explicit instructions in which some mechanical ways are utilized, such as flashcards, repetition, word lists, and translation into Vietnamese equivalence, which can be categorized into intentional vocabulary learning Meanwhile, incidental vocabulary learning has almost fallen into a state of neglect, although it has been proved to be one of the proactive strategies that enables learners to retain vocabulary effectively This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the educational setting in Vietnam features high-stakes testing, so language teaching and learning are test-oriented Therefore, in order to help students survive examinations, Vietnamese teachers tend to intentionally choose the major vocabulary of each lesson and explicitly provide students with meanings, forms of the vocabulary without paying attention to various contexts in which the words can be used This teaching practice has hindered students from enriching their lexical resources As a result, students fail to have a profound grasp of vocabulary 2 Literature Review 2.1 Understanding incidental vocabulary learning and intentional vocabulary learning and According to Hulstijn (2001), intentional vocabulary learning is defined as a learning strategy geared at completing tasks to memorize target vocabulary With this approach, learners are well aware of what they are going to learn and pay direct attention to vocabulary learning itself Learners of this strategy attempt to have a good mastery of meanings and forms of words mainly through memorization and translation by crosswords puzzles, scrambled words, word substitutions irrespective of the contexts and a number of different activities and tasks in which the words are used The effectiveness of intentional vocabulary learning has been asserted through extensive research For instance, Elgort and Nation (2010) concluded that word lists and flashcards used in intentional vocabulary learning have beneficial effects on vocabulary acquisition Another research conducted by Hung (2015) also highlighted the merits of intentional vocabulary learning since this strategy enables learners to speed up the process of building lexical resources within a short term, thanks to instructed repetition and memorization techniques Although this way of learning offers great opportunities for vocabulary acquisition and make a considerable contribution to vocabulary development, some researchers are against this approach To illustrate, this strategy was criticized by Barcroft (2009), who argued that intentional vocabulary learning could be problematic when translating words into the native language, especially when it comes to translation of idioms, and proverbs, which sometimes may generate non-equivalence and inappropriateness in target language and culture In addition, intentional vocabulary learning is more prone to rote memorization, which is believed to be effective only for a short period of time because learners attempt to cram a number of new words with the absence of the cognitive process In stark contrast, Nation (2001) defines incidental vocabulary learning as the by-product of language learning, which means that learners can enrich their vocabulary knowledge while participating in learning activities without any direct attention to vocabulary This process occurs both inside and outside classrooms through numerous activities from the stage of input like listening to radio, podcasts, watching movies, and reading extensively to output such as joining conversations Therefore, the main distinction lying between these two vocabulary learning strategies stems from the attention and intention that learners have during the learning process Unlike intentional vocabulary learning which mainly focuses on meanings and forms, incidental or uninstructed vocabulary learning encourages learners to decipher the meaning by referring to the clues embedded in the text By this way, learners look at the register, collocations, and groups of words instead of single words to make inferences or fathom out the meaning from the given context, which requires high cognitive ability As confirmed by Hulstijn and Laufer (2001), incidental vocabulary learning can become more productive compared to intentional vocabulary learning and learners will be able to retain vocabulary implicitly in the long-term memory and use them confidently and fluently in different scenarios 2.2 Strategies and Techniques for incidental vocabulary learning 2.2.1 Extensive reading Extensive reading can be understood as an activity of reading an abundant source of independent materials to gain overall comprehension of the texts The beneficial effects of extensive reading on incidental vocabulary learning have been proved by many researchers and practitioners, one of whom is Krashen In his renowned Input Hypothesis introduced in 2003, he argued that if learners are provided with comprehensible input such as an extensive reading program, incidental vocabulary acquisition will take place naturally, incidentally improving reading fluency and fostering lexical growth Nation (2001) also argued that extensive reading offers learners at different proficiency levels the pleasure to choose reading materials of their interest, so they can make progress at their own pace and maintain learning motivation However, there are many other variables that determine the success of learners when learning vocabulary incidentally through guessing and inferring words, such as exposure frequency and quality of learners’ engagement Webb (2007) explained that those who have more frequent exposure to new words show greater mastery of vocabulary knowledge Then, the findings of Schmitt’s study (2010) revealed that new word retention could be achieved if learners have 810 encounters Nevertheless, he argued that the number of exposures to new words does not guarantee vocabulary retention, but it is how much learners are engaged with the words during the reading process that determines the vocabulary gain 2.2.2 Glosses and Multi-modal annotations To confirm the impact of glosses on incidental vocabulary learning, numerous studies have been carried out In a related study, Kost, Foss, & Lenzini (1999) attempted to examine how pictorial and textual glosses influence incidental vocabulary learning of L2 learners by conducting experimental research on a group of students learning German The participants were asked to read a short passage using one of three marginal glosses, including textual gloss (translated into English), pictorial gloss, and text and picture integrated gloss Subsequently, the participants were required to perform three different tasks consisting of translating the given words into English, selecting correct pictures illustrating the given words and selecting the correct translations of the given words The finding revealed that those who combined both pictorial and textual glosses had better performance on vocabulary recognition and retention than those who utilized either pictorial or textual gloss In another study, Xu (2010) aimed to investigate the correlation between different gloss conditions and incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading activities The subjects of the research included 103 Chinese students learning English who were assigned to read a passage of 774 words with 18 target words divided into three categories: six glosses in Chinese, six glosses in English, and six glosses in both Chinese and English Then, the subjects were given reading comprehension test, a vocabulary test, and a delayed test week later The result of these tests exhibited that the subjects possessing better reading comprehension were able to retain vocabulary at higher rates Of the three given gloss types, glosses using both English and Chinese made the greatest contribution to the enhancement of vocabulary gain and retention To sum up, the findings of the studies mentioned above indicate that glosses and annotations actually support incidental vocabulary learning In addition, to maximize the beneficial effects of glosses on comprehension and vocabulary acquisition, verbal and visual glosses should be integrated instead of used in isolation 2.2.3 Technology-based methods in incidental vocabulary acquisition Since incidental vocabulary learning mainly depends on guessing and inferring meanings of new words based on the given context, some researchers have been concerned about the possibility of incorrect inference Huckin and Coady (1999) pointed out that learners can make correct inferences if they are able to comprehend from 95% to 98% of the words given in the text Likewise, in a survey conducted by Laufer (1992), the result showed that text comprehension is achievable if learners understand 95% of familiar words and 2% of unfamiliar words These statistics indicate that guesses or inferences should account for just a small percentage, and if guesses occur frequently, there is every likelihood of false inference and misleading comprehension of the reading passage According to Grabe & Stoller (1997), this problem can be ascribed to insufficient knowledge of contextual words that L2 learners have, compared to native speakers Therefore, learners are encouraged to get ready access to PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) that enables them to address the problem In this day and age when technology plays an increasingly important role in language teaching and learning, downloaded dictionaries, online dictionaries, compatible with PDA like smartphones, have been utilized as effective learning facilitators because of their intangible advantages, namely immediacy, flexibility, individuality, and portability Hill and Laufer’s (2003) concluded that computerbased dictionaries could boost incidental vocabulary learning for Chinese students In their case studies conducted on three first-year undergraduate students in Hong Kong, Song and Fox (2008) posited that students had positive attitudes towards the use of PDA for their tertiary educational pursuit and the integration of technology-based learning tools such as computerbased dictionaries, smartphones, and computers help learners check their word interpretation and thus enhanced their incidental vocabulary learning significantly By using various searching options provided by PDA, learners are able to consult unfamiliar words immediately and thus better understand teacher talk Another factor that affects incidental vocabulary learning is the amount of exposure to new words In this sense, Song and Fox also reported that PDA allows learners to save unfamiliar words and phrases for a future revision, which enhances exposure frequency contributing to word retention In summary, with availability and wide ownership of PDA like mobile devices, students can turn to such tools as a referential source for their incidental vocabulary acquisition both inside and outside classrooms 2.3 The threshold for incidental vocabulary learning The question as to when learners start incidental vocabulary learning and stand a good chance of comprehending a reading passage has attracted a great deal of scholarly attention from researchers Many studies have been done to identify the threshold level that marks learners’ lexical depth and breadth needed for successful reading comprehension For example, Nation and Hwang (1995) suggested that a 2000-word size enabled learners to comprehend 84% of the words given in a passage, thereby triggering incidence of incidental vocabulary learning, but Laufer (1997) then argued that incidental vocabulary learning is only viable once an L2 learner masters 5000 words, making up 98% of the words included in a text In another study in 2006, Nation attempted to find out what vocabulary size is required for independent comprehension of both spoken and written English The findings revealed that a range of 8,000 to 9,000-word families is needed for written text and 6,000 to 7,000 for spoken texts, which cover 98% of given vocabulary of an article Regarding the threshold for language proficiency level which allows incidental vocabulary learning, Choo, Lin, and Pandian, (2012) suggested that intentional vocabulary learning strategy be implemented for learners of lower proficiency levels, then be given less preference but not be ignored, and gradually be converted to incidental vocabulary learning through the given contexts without explicit instruction and explanation when learners achieve better language competence Conclusion It is evident that there is compelling evidence supporting the occurrence of incidental vocabulary learning and its effectiveness on vocabulary acquisition The realm of vocabulary pedagogy has triggered stakeholders, including teachers, researchers, material designers, and curriculum developers to find out applicable strategies and feasible techniques that can be adopted to boost lexical knowledge in general and incidental vocabulary acquisition in particular This brief analysis of the literature review suggests some important pedagogical implications Extensive reading is widely recognized as one of the common ways that help learners pick up vocabulary unintentionally Teachers can create an extensive reading program with a series of graded reading books, which stimulate learners to acquire lexical items subconsciously The selected books should be graded from beginners level to advanced level and cover various topics aligning with learners’ language proficiency and interest Therefore, serious attention should be paid to selecting materials Particularly, material designers should carefully choose materials that provide a high quality of contextual clues and design learning tasks that enables learners to not only comprehend texts successfully but also use newly acquired vocabulary in real-life situations effectively In case that hints given in a text is insufficient for learners to derive meanings of troubling vocabulary from context, they should have marginal glosses including texts or pictures, multi-modal annotations, and PDA or mobile devices at their disposal If not, it is highly likely that learners will make false inferences affecting the overall comprehension of an article Although a precise numerical threshold level for incidental vocabulary learning has remained controversial, instructors are advised to take learners’ lexical insight before delivering any activities related to incidental vocabulary learning If learners’ lexical knowledge is not sizeable enough, confusion may occur and learning motivation and autonomy will probably be deteriorated This review also shows conscientious endeavor that researchers have put on a number of laudable studies on incidental vocabulary learning, yet these studies have left a lot to be desired because many aspects related to incidental vocabulary acquisition have not been wellresearched Therefore, in order to expand the research scope of incidental vocabulary acquisition, it is highly recommended that further research should elaborate on more comprehensible inputs for incidental vocabulary learning such as listening to podcasts and teacher talks, targeted at high-proficiency learners Although intentional and incidental vocabulary learning does not bear any resemblance in approach, they should not be employed in isolation but supplement each other in vocabulary learning instead Hence, another suggestion is about the combination of both intentional and incidental vocabulary learning as a pedagogical instruction and its efficacy in vocabulary acquisition References Ahmad, J (2012) Intentional vs incidental vocabulary learning ELT Research Journal Vol 1(1), 71- 79 Choo, L B., Lin, D T A., & Pandian, A (2012) Language learning approaches: A review of research on explicit and implicit learning in vocabulary acquisition Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 55, 852-860 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.09.572 Grabe, W and Stoller, F (1997) Reading and vocabulary development in a second language: A case study In: Coady, J and Huckin, T (eds.) Second language vocabulary acquisition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 98-122 Elgort, I., & Nation, P (2010) Vocabulary learning in a second language: Familiar answers to new questions In P Seedhouse, S Walsh, & C Jenks (Eds.), Conceptualizing Learning in Applied Linguistics (pp 89-104) New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230289772_6 Hill, M and Laufer, B (2003) Type of task, time-on-task and electronic dictionaries in incidental vocabulary acquisition International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 41(2): 87-106 Huckin, T and Coady, J (1999) Incidental vocabulary acquisition in a second language: A review Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 21(2): 181-193 Hulstijn, J H (2001) Intentional and incidental second language vocabulary learning: A reappraisal of elaboration, rehearsal and automaticity In P Robinson (Eds.) 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Vocabulary and Applied Linguistics London: Macmillan, 126132 Laufer, B (1997) The lexical plight in second language reading: Words you don't know, words you think you know, and words you can't guess In J Coady & T Huckin (Eds.), Second language vocabulary acquisition: A rationale for pedagogy (pp 20–34) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Nation, I S P (2001) Learning Vocabulary in Another Language Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Nation, I S P & Hwang, K (1995) Where would general service vocabulary stop and special purposes vocabulary begin? System, 23, 35–41 Song, Y., and and Fox, R (2008) Using PDA for Undergraduate Student Incidental Vocabulary Testing ReCall, 20, no.3: 290-314 DOI:10.1017/S0958344008000438 Schmitt, N (2010) Researching Vocabulary: A Vocabulary Research Manual Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Webb, S (2007) The effects of repetition on vocabulary knowledge Applied Linguistics Vol 28(1), 46–65 Wilkins, D (1972) Linguistics in Language Teaching London: Arnold Xu, X (2010) The effects of glosses on incidental vocabulary acquisition in reading School of Foreign Languages Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 1(2), 117-120  ... Understanding incidental vocabulary learning and intentional vocabulary learning and According to Hulstijn (2001), intentional vocabulary learning is defined as a learning strategy geared at completing... instead of used in isolation 2.2.3 Technology-based methods in incidental vocabulary acquisition Since incidental vocabulary learning mainly depends on guessing and inferring meanings of new words... dictionaries in incidental vocabulary acquisition International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 41(2): 87-106 Huckin, T and Coady, J (1999) Incidental vocabulary acquisition in a second