Main Article Content
Abstract
English vocabulary mastery is considered important in Indonesian education, but the actual vocabulary mastery of high school students is still below the target. It becomes a concern whether the low vocabulary knowledge is correlated with English skills. Thus, this study investigated the relationship between Indonesian students’ English vocabulary knowledge and English competencies. A total of 108 high school students completed a productive vocabulary test (Lex 30). The students’ scores from their English class served as the data for English competence. The Lex30 result and the English scores were then tested using Pearson correlation. The findings showed that the students’ vocabulary knowledge and English competencies had positive correlation. Despite no specific measurement of the vocabulary size from the lex30 score, it was relevant to measure students’ vocabulary knowledge required for their performance in general English skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Thus, the positive correlation indicated that students with good vocabulary knowledge might also had good English scores. This study's specific contextual focus may restrict the applicability of the findings to other contexts. Therefore, future research should diversify the sample, incorporate a wider range of assessment tools, and explore the impact of different teaching methods on language skills in various settings.
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References
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- Atai, M. R., & Dabbagh, A. (2010). Exploring The Role of Vocabulary Depth and Semantic Set in EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Use in Writing. Teaching English Language, 4(2), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.22132/tel.2010.66106
- Baba, K. (2009). Aspects of Lexical Proficiency in Writing Summaries in A Foreign Language. Journal of Second Language Writing, 18(3), 191–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2009.05.003
- Brooks, G., Clenton, J., & Fraser, S. (2021). Exploring The Importance of Vocabulary for English as An Additional Language Learners’ Reading Comprehension. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 11(3), 351–376. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2021.11.3.3
- Cahyono, B. Y., & Widiati, U. (2015). The Teaching of Efl Vocabulary in The Indonesian Context: The State Of The Art. TEFLIN Journal - A Publication on the Teaching and Learning of English, 19(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v19i1/1-17
- Catalán, R. M. J.-. (2023). Exploring the Productive Vocabulary of EFL Learners Through Lexical Availability. International Journal of TESOL Studies. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.20230205
- Colenbrander, D. (2020). Oral Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension. Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, 22(1), 10–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/22087168.2020.12370278
- Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.
- de Jong, N. H., Steinel, M. P., Florijn, A. F., Schoonen, R., & Hulstijn, J. H. (2012). Facets of Speaking Proficiency. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 34(1), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263111000489
- Dodigovic, M., & Agustín-Llach, M. P. (2020). Introduction to Vocabulary-Based Needs Analysis. In Vocabulary in Curriculum Planning (pp. 1–6). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48663-1_1
- Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford University Press.
- Giguere, D., & Hoff, E. (2024). Bilingual Children’s Vocabulary Skills at 5 Years Predict Reading Comprehension Development Within, Not Across, Languages. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 27(2), 240–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2023.2166397
- Iwashita, N., Brown, A., McNamara, T., & O’Hagan, S. (2007). Assessed Levels of Second Language Speaking Proficiency: How Distinct? Applied Linguistics, 29(1), 24–49. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amm017
- Koizumi, R., & In’nami, Y. (2013). Vocabulary Knowledge and Speaking Proficiency among Second Language Learners from Novice to Intermediate Levels. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(5). https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.4.5.900-913
- Laufer, B. (1992). How Much Lexis is Necessary for Reading Comprehension? In Vocabulary and Applied Linguistics (pp. 126–132). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12396-4_12
- Laufer, B., & Levitzky, T. A. (2017). What Type of Vocabulary Knowledge Predicts Reading Comprehension: Word Meaning Recall or Word Meaning Recognition? The Modern Language Journal, 101(4), 729–741. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12431
- Laufer, B., & Nation, P. (1999). A Vocabulary-Size Test of Controlled Productive Ability. Language Testing, 16(1), 33–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553229901600103
- Matthews, J., & Cheng, J. (2015). Recognition of High Frequency Words From Speech as A Predictor of L2 Listening Comprehension. System, 52, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.04.015
- McLean, S., Stewart, J., & Batty, A. O. (2020). Predicting L2 reading proficiency with modalities of vocabulary knowledge: A bootstrapping approach. Language Testing, 37(3), 389–411. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532219898380
- Meara, P., & Fitzpatrick, T. (2000). Lex30: An Improved Method Of Assessing Productive Vocabulary in An L2. System, 28(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(99)00058-5
- Mehrpour, S., & Rahimi, M. (2010). The Impact of General and Specific Vocabulary Knowledge on Reading and Listening Comprehension: A Case of Iranian EFL Learners. System, 38(2), 292–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2010.01.004
- Mustafa, F. (2019). English Vocabulary Size of Indonesian High School Graduates: Curriculum Expectation and Reality. IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics), 3(2), 357–371.
- Nation, I. S. P. (1984). Review of Teaching and Learning Languages by Earl W. Stevick . Language Learning and Communication , 84–86.
- Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759
- Nation, I. S. P. (2005). Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. In Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Routledge.
- Nazara, S. (2011). Students’ Perception on EFL Speaking Skill Development. JET (Journal of English Teaching), 1(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v1i1.50
- Noreillie, A.-S., Desmet, P., & Peters, E. (2020). Factors Predicting Low-Intermediate French Learners’ Vocabulary Use in Speaking Tasks. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 76(3), 194–217. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr-2019-0018
- Pignot-Shahov, V. (2012). Measuring L2 Receptive and Productive Vocabulary Knowledge. Language Studies Working Papers, 4.
- Schmitt, N. (2008). Review Article: Instructed Second Language Vocabulary Learning. Language Teaching Research, 12(3), 329–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168808089921
- Srimongkontip, S., & Wiriyakarun, P. (2014). Measuring Vocabulary Size and Vocabulary Depth of Secondary Education Students in a Thai-English Bilingual School. Journal of Liberal Arts, 10(2).
- Stæhr, L. S. (2009). Vocabulary Knowledge and Advanced Listening Comprehension in English as a Foreign Language . Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 31(04), 577. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263109990039
- Sutarsyah, C., Nation, P., & Kennedy, G. (1994). How Useful Is Eap Vocabulary for Esp? a Corpus Based Case Study. RELC Journal, 25(2), 34–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368829402500203
- Swan, M., & Smith, B. (2001). Learner English. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667121
- Uchihara, T., & Clenton, J. (2020). Investigating The Role of Vocabulary Size in Second Language Speaking Ability. Language Teaching Research, 24(4), 540–556. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818799371
- Uchihara, T., & Clenton, J. (2022). The Role of Spoken Vocabulary Knowledge in Second Language Speaking Proficiency. The Language Learning Journal, 51(3), 376–393. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2080856
- Uchihara, T., & Saito, K. (2016). Exploring The Relationship between Productive Vocabulary Knowledge and Second Language Oral Ability. The Language Learning Journal, 47(1), 64–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2016.1191527
- Vafaee, P., & Suzuki, Y. (2020). The Relative Significance of Syntactic Knowledge and Vocabulary Knowledge in Second Language Listening Ability. . Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42(2), 383–410. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263119000676
- Vandergrift, L., & Baker, S. (2015). Learner Variables in Second Language Listening Comprehension: An Exploratory Path Analysis. Language Learning, 65(2), 390–416. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12105
- Wahyuningsih, S., & Afandi, M. (2020). Investigating English Speaking Problems: Implications for Speaking Curriculum Development in Indonesia. European Journal of Educational Research, volume-9-2020(volume-9-issue-3-july-2020), 967–977. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.9.3.967
- Walters, J. (2012). Aspects of Validity of a Test of Productive Vocabulary: Lex30. Language Assessment Quarterly, 9(2), 172–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2011.625579
- Widodo, H. P. (2016). Language Policy in Practice: Reframing the English Language Curriculum in the Indonesian Secondary Education Sector. In Language Policy (pp. 127–151). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0_6
References
Afriando, B., Sutarsyah, C., & Suka, R. G. (2015). A Survey Of English Vocabulary Size In Senior High School. UNILA Journal of English Teaching, 4(1).
Atai, M. R., & Dabbagh, A. (2010). Exploring The Role of Vocabulary Depth and Semantic Set in EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Use in Writing. Teaching English Language, 4(2), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.22132/tel.2010.66106
Baba, K. (2009). Aspects of Lexical Proficiency in Writing Summaries in A Foreign Language. Journal of Second Language Writing, 18(3), 191–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2009.05.003
Brooks, G., Clenton, J., & Fraser, S. (2021). Exploring The Importance of Vocabulary for English as An Additional Language Learners’ Reading Comprehension. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 11(3), 351–376. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2021.11.3.3
Cahyono, B. Y., & Widiati, U. (2015). The Teaching of Efl Vocabulary in The Indonesian Context: The State Of The Art. TEFLIN Journal - A Publication on the Teaching and Learning of English, 19(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v19i1/1-17
Catalán, R. M. J.-. (2023). Exploring the Productive Vocabulary of EFL Learners Through Lexical Availability. International Journal of TESOL Studies. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.20230205
Colenbrander, D. (2020). Oral Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension. Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, 22(1), 10–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/22087168.2020.12370278
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.
de Jong, N. H., Steinel, M. P., Florijn, A. F., Schoonen, R., & Hulstijn, J. H. (2012). Facets of Speaking Proficiency. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 34(1), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263111000489
Dodigovic, M., & Agustín-Llach, M. P. (2020). Introduction to Vocabulary-Based Needs Analysis. In Vocabulary in Curriculum Planning (pp. 1–6). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48663-1_1
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford University Press.
Giguere, D., & Hoff, E. (2024). Bilingual Children’s Vocabulary Skills at 5 Years Predict Reading Comprehension Development Within, Not Across, Languages. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 27(2), 240–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2023.2166397
Iwashita, N., Brown, A., McNamara, T., & O’Hagan, S. (2007). Assessed Levels of Second Language Speaking Proficiency: How Distinct? Applied Linguistics, 29(1), 24–49. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amm017
Koizumi, R., & In’nami, Y. (2013). Vocabulary Knowledge and Speaking Proficiency among Second Language Learners from Novice to Intermediate Levels. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(5). https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.4.5.900-913
Laufer, B. (1992). How Much Lexis is Necessary for Reading Comprehension? In Vocabulary and Applied Linguistics (pp. 126–132). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12396-4_12
Laufer, B., & Levitzky, T. A. (2017). What Type of Vocabulary Knowledge Predicts Reading Comprehension: Word Meaning Recall or Word Meaning Recognition? The Modern Language Journal, 101(4), 729–741. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12431
Laufer, B., & Nation, P. (1999). A Vocabulary-Size Test of Controlled Productive Ability. Language Testing, 16(1), 33–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553229901600103
Matthews, J., & Cheng, J. (2015). Recognition of High Frequency Words From Speech as A Predictor of L2 Listening Comprehension. System, 52, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.04.015
McLean, S., Stewart, J., & Batty, A. O. (2020). Predicting L2 reading proficiency with modalities of vocabulary knowledge: A bootstrapping approach. Language Testing, 37(3), 389–411. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532219898380
Meara, P., & Fitzpatrick, T. (2000). Lex30: An Improved Method Of Assessing Productive Vocabulary in An L2. System, 28(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(99)00058-5
Mehrpour, S., & Rahimi, M. (2010). The Impact of General and Specific Vocabulary Knowledge on Reading and Listening Comprehension: A Case of Iranian EFL Learners. System, 38(2), 292–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2010.01.004
Mustafa, F. (2019). English Vocabulary Size of Indonesian High School Graduates: Curriculum Expectation and Reality. IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics), 3(2), 357–371.
Nation, I. S. P. (1984). Review of Teaching and Learning Languages by Earl W. Stevick . Language Learning and Communication , 84–86.
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759
Nation, I. S. P. (2005). Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. In Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Routledge.
Nazara, S. (2011). Students’ Perception on EFL Speaking Skill Development. JET (Journal of English Teaching), 1(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v1i1.50
Noreillie, A.-S., Desmet, P., & Peters, E. (2020). Factors Predicting Low-Intermediate French Learners’ Vocabulary Use in Speaking Tasks. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 76(3), 194–217. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr-2019-0018
Pignot-Shahov, V. (2012). Measuring L2 Receptive and Productive Vocabulary Knowledge. Language Studies Working Papers, 4.
Schmitt, N. (2008). Review Article: Instructed Second Language Vocabulary Learning. Language Teaching Research, 12(3), 329–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168808089921
Srimongkontip, S., & Wiriyakarun, P. (2014). Measuring Vocabulary Size and Vocabulary Depth of Secondary Education Students in a Thai-English Bilingual School. Journal of Liberal Arts, 10(2).
Stæhr, L. S. (2009). Vocabulary Knowledge and Advanced Listening Comprehension in English as a Foreign Language . Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 31(04), 577. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263109990039
Sutarsyah, C., Nation, P., & Kennedy, G. (1994). How Useful Is Eap Vocabulary for Esp? a Corpus Based Case Study. RELC Journal, 25(2), 34–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368829402500203
Swan, M., & Smith, B. (2001). Learner English. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667121
Uchihara, T., & Clenton, J. (2020). Investigating The Role of Vocabulary Size in Second Language Speaking Ability. Language Teaching Research, 24(4), 540–556. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818799371
Uchihara, T., & Clenton, J. (2022). The Role of Spoken Vocabulary Knowledge in Second Language Speaking Proficiency. The Language Learning Journal, 51(3), 376–393. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2080856
Uchihara, T., & Saito, K. (2016). Exploring The Relationship between Productive Vocabulary Knowledge and Second Language Oral Ability. The Language Learning Journal, 47(1), 64–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2016.1191527
Vafaee, P., & Suzuki, Y. (2020). The Relative Significance of Syntactic Knowledge and Vocabulary Knowledge in Second Language Listening Ability. . Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42(2), 383–410. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263119000676
Vandergrift, L., & Baker, S. (2015). Learner Variables in Second Language Listening Comprehension: An Exploratory Path Analysis. Language Learning, 65(2), 390–416. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12105
Wahyuningsih, S., & Afandi, M. (2020). Investigating English Speaking Problems: Implications for Speaking Curriculum Development in Indonesia. European Journal of Educational Research, volume-9-2020(volume-9-issue-3-july-2020), 967–977. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.9.3.967
Walters, J. (2012). Aspects of Validity of a Test of Productive Vocabulary: Lex30. Language Assessment Quarterly, 9(2), 172–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2011.625579
Widodo, H. P. (2016). Language Policy in Practice: Reframing the English Language Curriculum in the Indonesian Secondary Education Sector. In Language Policy (pp. 127–151). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0_6