Lexical inferencing strategies of Filipino-English bilingual grade school learners: A qualitative analysis

Abstract The study is an analysis of the lexical inferencing strategies of Filipino-English Bilingual Grade School Learners, as learners unknowingly employ techniques to process reading comprehension while encountering unfamiliar words. By inferring word meaning while reading, learners acquire vocabulary, influencing comprehension in the first or second language. Inferencing is viewed as a central cognitive process in reading involving the way of arriving at a hypothesis, judgment, or idea, based on knowledge or judgment. The study investigated the lexical inferencing strategies employed by bilingual learners engaged in the tasks of Vodcast, Think Aloud, and Vodthink while reading. It identified the most useful lexical inferencing strategies to the participants. It uncovered the facilitation of L1 in inferring while reading a text in L2. The Lexical Inferencing Strategies Model adopted by the study is anchored on the theories of Constructivist Learning Theory, Information Theory, Metacognition Theory, and Schema Theory. Qualitative research design was used in the study, with learners in Grade Six from Dr. Sixto Antonio Elementary School as participants of the study, chosen through purposive sampling design. Technology-based learning materials were used with Vodcast, Think Aloud, and Vodthink tasks. Thematic analysis, content analysis and coding were used in the analysis of data. Findings of the study revealed that the learning tasks of Vodcast, Think Aloud, and Vodthink generated the major types of inferencing strategies of repeating, reasoned guessing, unexplained guessing, and analogy employed by Filipino-Bilingual Grade School learners. Reasoned guessing is the most useful strategy for the participants in lexical inferencing which was based on the knowledge sources of contextual cues. Reasoned guessing ranked 1st in the usefulness and utilization of lexical inferencing strategies for language learners in Vodcast, Think aloud, and Vodthink tasks for L1and L2; as well as analogy, unexplained guessing, and repeating strategies. To facilitate inferring while reading a text in L2, learners utilized knowledge sources of non-linguistic cues to recall words encountered in films at home and in communicating English to be able to understand and infer unknown words in L2. Learners inferring style while reading a text in L2 involves the use of knowledge sources of non-linguistic cues as they encounter unfamiliar words and in communicating in L2. The Model of Lexical Inferencing Strategies of Filipino-English Bilingual Grade School Learners focus on the use of different inferencing strategies for learners using the learning tasks of Vodcast, Think Aloud, and Vodthink, and various knowledge sources. Keywords: Lexical Inferencing, Lexical Inferencing Strategies, Knowledge Sources,Vodcast, Think aloud, and Vodthink Task