Abstract
Vocabulary knowledge greatly affects writing performance (Stæhr in Lang Learn J 36:139–152, 2008; Johnson in Tesol J 7:700-715 2016), but little is known about the relative contribution of different dimensions of vocabulary knowledge to reading-to-write performance. The current study attempted to investigates the contribution of receptive/orthographic (RecOrth) vocabulary knowledge, productive/orthographic knowledge (ProOrth), productive/phonological (ProPhon) vocabulary knowledge and depth of vocabulary knowledge to reading-to-write scores. For this purpose, 154 Chinese English as foreign language (EFL) learners took a battery of vocabulary knowledge tests and a reading-to-write test. The extent to which vocabulary at different word frequencies predicted reading-to-write was also investigated. The results of regression indicated that ProOrth academic level, vocabulary depth, and RecOrth 2, 000 frequency level explained 40.2% of the reading-to-write score variance. Among the high-performing group, ProOrth academic and vocabulary depth were predictive of the reading-to-write score, while only ProOrth academic vocabulary explained the variance in the reading-to-write score for the low-performing group. The findings reveal the important relationship among dimensions of vocabulary knowledge and reading-to-write and stress the need for systematic vocabulary instruction.
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This study is supported by Program for the Philosophy and Social Sciences Research of Higher learning Institution of Shanxi (No. 2023W001).
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Reading-to-write task
Read carefully the following excerpt and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:
-
(1)
summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then
-
(2)
comment on Brewer’s view that parents should join in with their kids rather than limit their media consumption.
You can support yourself with information from the excerpt. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may in a loss of marks. Write your response on ANSWER SHEET THREE.
How much screen time is too much for kids?
Parents have been advised to limit media consumption of their children, but research suggests it’s the nature of it that matters. For many parents in the digital age, battles with their kids over screen time and devices have become a depressing part of family life. Many parents will now be relieved to hear that recent research suggests that it’s not so much the length, but the nature of the screen time that matters. Jocelyn Brewer, a psychologist who specializes in the concept of “digital nutrition”, likens media diets to what’s on our plates: rather than counting calories (or screen time), think about what you’re eating. “It’s not just about whether you consume any potential digital junk foods, but also your relationship to technology and the role it plays in your family life,” says Brewer. For young children, the most important thing is whether parents and kids are playing, watching or browsing together. A study of 20,000 parents published late last year by the Oxford Internet Institute and Cardiff University determined that there was no correlation between limiting device use and children’s well-being. The study’s lead author Dr Andrew Pryzbylski said: “Our findings suggest the broader family context, how parents set rules about digital screen time, and if they’ re actively engaged in exploring the digital world together, are more important than the raw screen time.” “The consensus is that screen time, in and of itself, is not harmful — and reasonable restrictions vary greatly, depending on a child’ s behavior and personality. There is little point in worrying about how many minutes a day your kids are spending with screens,” says Brewer. “Instead, parents should be doing what they can to ensure that what they’re watching, playing and reading is high-quality, age appropriate and safe—and joining in wherever possible.”
Appendix 2: Sample writing
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Pan, R. The Role of Receptive/Orthographic Vocabulary, Productive/Orthographic Vocabulary, Productive/Phonological Vocabulary and Depth of Vocabulary in Predicting Reading-to-Write Performance. J Psycholinguist Res 52, 3039–3062 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-023-10027-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-023-10027-8