The Effects of Memorizing Word Lists on Vocabulary Learning and Reading

[[abstract]]ABSTRACT This study intends to investigate the effects of memorizing word lists on vocabulary learning. It also taps the effects of word lists on reading scores on GEPT. Moreover, this study further explores if memorizing word lists with or without sentence support makes a difference on students’ vocabulary learning and reading scores on GEPT. Three intact classes of 111 national vocational high school students in the remote district in Taiwan participated in the study. Before the intervention, the vocabulary and reading comprehension pretests were administrated. Class A was the Experimental Group A, who was asked to memorize the word lists with words listed in isolation. Class B was the Experimental Group B, who was asked to memorize the word lists with sample sentences. Class C was the control group. After the ten-week training, the vocabulary and reading comprehension posttest were given to the participants. At the end of the program, both experimental groups were required to fill out a questionnaire concerning their opinions and suggestions on the use of word lists. The results showed that memorizing word lists indeed had a positive effect on students’ performances in vocabulary learning. Also, the results in this study indicated that only the method of memorizing word lists with sample sentences was effective for improving the reading scores on GEPT. The results also indicated that there was no significant difference between the effects of memorizing word lists with or without sample sentences on students’ vocabulary learning. Beside, the effects of memorizing word list in isolation or with sample sentences on the reading scores on GEPT showed no difference. Moreover, the effect of word lists without sentences for Vocabulary & Structure (section one) or Reading Comprehension (section three) is the same as that of word lists with sample sentences. However, memorizing word lists with sample sentences is more effective for the scores on Cloze (section two) than memorizing words in isolation. Survey results showed that students in both experimental groups held positive attitudes toward the effects of memorizing word lists on vocabulary learning and the reading comprehension test on GEPT. Furthermore, it was found that words memorized in the last five weeks were better retained than words memorized in the first five weeks. To conclude, it is suggested that language instructors can work together to develop and design a suitable word list which can be used in English class.