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Article published In: Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 54:2 (2019) ► pp.93–121

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Vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size in CFL

 | Roma Tre University
 | Roma Tre University
Published online: 20 March 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.18006.rom
Abstract
Vocabulary plays a crucial role in foreign language learning, and vocabulary mastery proves to be challenging at different competence levels. Compared to other areas of research into Chinese as a foreign language, vocabulary acquisition and vocabulary teaching have rarely been investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size and to verify whether vocabulary size is positively correlated to proficiency level. A total of 95 Italian undergraduate Chinese learners, from elementary to intermediate levels, participated in this study. The participants were first given a vocabulary learning questionnaire and then a vocabulary size test. Statistical and qualitative analyses of the data revealed two trends: a poor variety of vocabulary learning strategies and a positive correlation between vocabulary size and proficiency level.
摘要
词汇习得是决定第二语言学习成功与否的一个重要因素，而对于不同水平的学习者来说，词汇的掌握是汉语作为第二语言学习中的一个难点。然而，在汉语作为第二语言研究中，词汇习得与词汇教学还尚未得到足够的重视。本文是探讨词汇学习策略与词汇量的关系，并统计词汇量与语言等级的相关程度。参加实验的是本科一至三年级的学生，共95人，其汉语水平为初、中级。我们先后对参加者进行了汉语词汇学习策略调查与汉语词汇量测试两类考核试卷。定性与定量分析的结果主要显示了以下两种趋势：第一，学习者不常采用多样性的学习策略，第二，不同水平的学习者在词汇量上有着显著差异。
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Learning strategies
    • 2.1Learning strategies in foreign and second language acquisition
    • 2.2Vocabulary learning strategies: Taxonomies and proposals
    • 2.3Chinese vocabulary learning strategies: Literature review
  • 3.Vocabulary size
    • 3.1Vocabulary size in language learning and CFL
    • 3.2Vocabulary size assessment
    • 3.3The Vocabulary Size Test (VST)
  • 4.Methodology
    • 4.1Research questions
    • 4.2Participants
    • 4.3Instruments for data collection
      • 4.3.1The Vocabulary Learning Strategies Test (VLST): Sources and design
      • 4.3.2The Chinese Vocabulary Size Test (CVST)
  • 5.Analysis
    • 5.1VLST
    • 5.2CVST
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Conclusions and pedagogical implications
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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