Laufer Min Language Acquisition: Literature Literature Review

The groups were distinguished by those who participated in language acquisition activities employing enhanced reading with word-based activities and those who participated in what the researcher called 'narrow reading,' which occurred without this supplementary instruction. The two groups were asked to retain the same scope of fifty selected vocabulary words. Min would find that those in the former group, denoted as the "RV" group, performed significantly better than those in the "NR" group. In interpretation, Min tells that "the results show that the RV group demonstrated significantly more knowledge about the target vocabulary than the NR group on the acquisition and retention tests. The researcher concludes that reading plus focused vocabulary exercises are more effective and efficient than the narrow reading approach in enhancing target vocabulary acquisition and retention among EFL secondary students." (Min, p. 75)

Min would go on to suggest that the value in this study rests in its endorsement of strategies that would aim to better the supplemental instruction used to compliment the important utilization of reading activities. Moreover, the study contributes the notion to the overall discussion that the deficiencies shown in those students entering EFL secondary high schools may be as a result of a 'narrow reading' strategy that doesn't do enough to optimize the retention of meaning and usage.Indeed, as Min goes on to acknowledge in a reflection on the study's findings, the distinct value of this study and the cause of its findings may be in its nuance. Researchers sought not just to investigate the ability of students to define or recall certain vocabulary terms. Beyond this, students would be evaluated on their understanding of function, meaning and usage. In this evaluate, Min would sufficiently demonstrate that an effective strategy for assisting in the process of language acquisition would also account for these critical areas of linguistic development. This also makes the study by Min distinctly useful to our broader research purpose by providing empirical evidence of the consequence in failing to guide vocabulary acquisition effectively.

Works Cited:

Laufer, B. & Rozovski-Roitblat, B. (2011). Incidental vocabulary acquisition: The effects of task type,-word occurrence and their combination. Language Teaching Research, 15(4), 391-411

Min, H.T. (2008). EFL Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention: Reading Plus….....