چکیده:
Methodologically, vocabulary instruction has faced significant ups and downs during the history of language education; sometimes integrated with the other elements of language network, other times tackled as a separate component. Among many variables supposedly affecting vocabulary achievement, the role of teaching word history, as a schemata-building strategy, in developing reading comprehension has received the least, if not any, attention. This study was an attempt, in fact, to explore the possibility of an integration of word history and reading comprehension ability of a group (No=100) of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To conduct the study, 60/100 participants, identified as homogeneous members based on the Comprehensive English Language Test (CELT), were randomly divided them into two groups; an experimental and a control group. They were exposed to a teacher-made pretest and a post-test to check the participants' knowledge of word history and reading comprehension ability prior and posterior to the experiment. Pertinent statistical analyses proved that teaching word history plays both statistically and affectively, through enhancing motivation and attitude, meaningful schemata-building role in developing reading ability. Pedagogically, resort to word history may then be suggested as an effective and affective mechanism as far as teaching language skills, in particular reading, is concerned.
خلاصه ماشینی:
"Schemata-Building Role of Teaching Word History in Developing Reading Comprehension Ability Gholam-Reza Abbasian 1 Imam Ali University Saeid Maskukian Isalmic Azad Uniersity, Garmsar Branch Methodologically, vocabulary instruction has faced significant ups and downs during the history of language education; sometimes integrated with the other elements of language network, other times tackled as a separate component.
They were exposed to a teacher-made pretest and a post-test to check the participants' knowledge of word history and reading comprehension ability prior and posterior to the experiment.
When second language readers encounter an unfamiliar word while reading, they often infer its meaning using available information and knowledge without referring to dictionary (Hustijn, Hollander, & Greidanvs, 1996; Schmitt, 1997).
More specifically, this study attempts to explore whether explicit instruction of word history as a schemata-building mechanism may have any significant effect on the enhancement of learner’s reading comprehension ability.
The pretest was given to the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG) to check their prior knowledge of vocabulary including word history in a reading text and to ensure that there were no significant differences between the two groups prior to the treatment.
For example, the participants in the experimental group encountered the word maverick in the reading comprehension text ("The president said that he did not want yes-men or mavericks in his cabinet"), and the teacher described it as: "Samuel Maverick was a Texas rancher who refused to brand his cattle as others were doing"; This word means: one who acts independently (See Appendix for the list of the vocabulary items taught)."