چکیده:
This study was designed to assess the relative contributions of vocabulary and
syntactic knowledge as predictors of reading comprehension performance. It also
sought to investigate the interrelationship between syntactic and word knowledge
and reading comprehension performance. Participants included 159 male freshman
and sophomore Iranian high school students. Data were collected through the
reading section of a retired version of Preliminary English Test (2004), Vocabulary
Levels Test, Word Associates Test, and Syntactic Knowledge Test. The results
revealed that both grammar and vocabulary scores correlated positively with
reading comprehension scores. Also, vocabulary correlated significantly with
reading comprehension but not as strongly as syntactic knowledge did. Our
analysis revealed that syntax explains a larger portion of the reading variance. To
examine whether depth / breadth of vocabulary knowledge or syntax may have
more predictive power in reading comprehension performance, multiple-regression
analysis was conducted. Beta values indicated that grammar made statistically
significant contribution to reading comprehension, although other variables explained the variance on the reading test. The results offer new insights into the
significant mediating influence that learner’s knowledge of grammar may have in
reading comprehension at low intermediate level.
خلاصه ماشینی:
"While many research avenues have touched the interrelation between vocabulary and syntactic knowledge and reading ability, the literature on the relative contribution of grammar and vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension performance is scanty and inconclusive (Shiotsu & Weir, 2007).
In three consecutive studies of the relative significance of syntactic knowledge and vocabulary breadth in the prediction of reading comprehension test performance, Shiotsu and Weir (2007) found that syntax was a better predictor of reading than vocabulary size and accounted for higher percentage of reading variance.
Figure 1:Normal distribution for the measures Figure 2:Regression model for the measures The second research examined the extent to which the scores on syntactic knowledge and breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge tests may predict the performance on reading comprehension tasks.
Conclusion, Implications and Suggestions for Follow up Research This study attempted to probe the relationship between the EFL students’ syntactic knowledge, breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge, and their reading comprehension ability.
g. Shiotsu & Weir, 2007; Kaivanpanah & Zandi , 2009) and provide support for the relatively higher significance of syntactic knowledge over vocabulary breadth and depth in predicting reading comprehension performance.
Word knowledge has been documented as an important factor in reading comprehension (Alderson, 2000; Nation, 2001; Laufer, 1996; Qian, 2002; Read, 2000; Zhang & Annual, 2008) and lexical knowledge has been shown to correlate with success in reading, writing, general language proficiency, and academic achievement (Laufer et al.
The present research employed multiple-choice method of reading assessment and the results revealed that syntactic knowledge surpassed vocabulary breadth and depth in accounting for the variance in reading comprehension."