词频对英语词汇附带习得的影响

Effects of Frequency on Incidental Vocabulary Learning through Reading

55名非英语专业大二学生用35分钟阅读了3 332字长的英语故事后,进行选择测试和填空测试。结果显示:两项测试的词汇附带习得率均为约20%;在选择测试中,词频与词汇净增百分数有显著性相关,而在填空测试中两者无显著性相关;附带习得一个词所要接触这个词的次数约为14-17;受试的词汇量大小与受试两项测试的前测和后测成绩均有显著性相关,而与词汇的增加数没有显著性相关。作者认为只用附带方式学习词汇不够,应和有意学习方式结合起来。

The present study shows that 55 Chinese non-English-major students roughly get 20% word gains in both the multiple-choice test and the blank-filling test, after reading a 3 332-word-long English story. There is a significant correlation between frequency and word gain in the multiple-choice test, but not in the blank-filling test. The frequency to acquire a word through incident learning is about 14-17 times. The experiment also shows that the correlations between vocabulary sizes of the subjects and the scores of both multiple-choice test and the blank-filling test are significant, but the correlations between vocabulary sizes and word gains in the two tests are insignificant. The paper concludes that the incidental vocabulary study should be combined with intentional study in acquiring vocabulary.