The Relative Predicting Power of Vocabulary Depth and Grammar in Korean EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The present study was designed to investigate the roles of grammar and two main domains of vocabulary depth, syntagmatic and paradigmatic vocabulary in reading comprehension. In an attempt to explore their effects and relationships, the relative impact of vocabulary depth and grammar knowledge on reading comprehension was examined. In addition, which of the two domains of vocabulary depth, syntagmatic or paradigmatic vocabulary, contributes more to reading comprehension was investigated. A total of 54 Korean students in the first grade of middle school participated in this study, and their syntagmatic vocabulary, paradigmatic vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension abilities were measured and analyzed. The results revealed all three variables, syntagmatic and paradigmatic vocabulary, and grammar, to be significantly correlated to reading comprehension, and interrelated with each other. In addition, vocabulary depth knowledge proved to be a more powerful predictor of reading comprehension than grammar, furthermore, between the two fundamental domains of vocabulary depth, paradigmatic vocabulary knowledge played a more critical role than syntagmatic vocabulary in explaining reading comprehension. These findings demonstrated the prominence of vocabulary depth, specifically paradigmatic vocabulary knowledge, for facilitating reading comprehension abilities of middle school students in the Korean EFL context.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• I. INTRODUCTION
• II. LITERATURE REVIEW
• III. METHODS
• IV. RESULT
• V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
• REFERENCES