臺灣博碩士論文加值系統

本研究旨在於了解在語境線索的協助下，科技大學大一新生譯解英文字彙的能力和策略選擇的表現，以達到探究語境線索成效之目的。根據Joe (1993)，Huang, C. (2000, 2001b)和Lin (2003)等研究人員指出，字彙量不足一直是導致科技大學學生在閱讀一般或專業英文教科書時遇到挫折的主要原因。許多的研究曾探討過，語境線索有助於提昇語言學習者譯解單字的能力（例如：Carnine, Kameenui & Coyle, 1984; Duffelmeyer, 1984; Nagy, Herman & Anderson, 1985）。因此，本研究著手探討科技大學學生在嵌入語境線索的英文句子中，其譯解單字和策略選擇之表現。研究對象為中部某科技大學管理學院278位大一新生。每位受測者均在六十分鐘內接受兩份字彙測驗：（一）字彙量測驗，和（二）語境線索字彙測驗。採用t檢定作為資料分析之工具。
本研究的主要發現有：（一）字彙量測驗的結果顯示，有71.5%的受測者通過1,000字的單字測驗，僅有24.4%的受測者通過2,000字的單字測驗；（二）在語境線索的協助之下，受測者的譯解表現較不易受字彙困難度提高的影響；（三）受測者譯解語境字彙的表現較其策略選擇表現佳；（四）相較於外語能力較差的受測者，外語能力較好的受測者在譯解語境字彙和策略選擇的表現較佳。
基於以上的發現，除了建議擴充學生的字彙量之外，本研究提議英語課程應加強學生對語境線索的概念及相關譯解生字的策略，以提昇學生譯解字彙意義的能力。再者，外語學習者的教材設計須加入語境線索，以助於學生從語境線索中推測生字意義的能力。

The present study aimed to investigate technological university freshmen’s performances in decoding English vocabulary with the aid of context clues and their strategy selection for the purpose of exploring the effects of context clues. According to Joe (1993), Huang, C. (2000, 2001b) and Lin (2003), insufficient vocabulary knowledge has been a key factor that causes many technological university students’ frustrations in reading either general or academic English textbooks. As discussed in the research (e.g., Carnine, Kameenui & Coyle, 1984; Duffelmeyer, 1984; Nagy, Herman & Anderson, 1985), context clues have been helpful for promoting language learners’ ability in decoding vocabulary. This study, thus, investigated technological university freshmen’s decoding performances at sentence level with embedded context clues as well as their strategy selection. The subjects were 278 technological university freshmen at the College of Management in central Taiwan. Every subject was required to finish two tests, Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) and Vocabulary Test with Context Clues (VTCC), within 60 minutes. T-test was adopted for data analysis.
The major findings of the present study are as follows. Firstly, in decoding isolated words on VLT, 71.5% of the subjects passed the 1,000-word level, while 24.4% of the subjects reached 2,000-word level. Secondly, with the help of context clues, the subjects’ decoding performances were less affected when the difficulty level of words increased. Thirdly, the subjects’ performances in strategy selection were lagging far behind their performances in decoding words in context. Fourth, proficient subjects performed better in decoding words in context and in strategy selection than less proficient subjects did.
Based upon the above findings, in addition to expanding students’ vocabulary size, this study suggested that the concepts of context clues and the related strategies in decoding unknown or unfamiliar words should be emphasized in English courses to promote students’ ability in decoding meanings of vocabulary. Moreover, while designing English materials for EFL learners, context clues should be stressed to facilitate learners’ ability of inferring meanings of unknown or unfamiliar words.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract (Chinese) i
Abstract (English) iii
Acknowledgement v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables x
Lists of Figures xi

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the Study 1
Purpose of the Study 6
Research Questions 7
Definitions of Terms 8
Significance of the Study 11
Delimitations of the Study 13
Summary 14

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 16
Vocabulary Knowledge 17
Vocabulary Size and Reading Comprehension 19
Recent Vocabulary Size Tests 22
Strategy Knowledge and Strategy Use 24
Strategy Knowledge 25
Strategy Use 26
Factors Affecting Strategy Use 28
Learning from Context 29
Classification and Effectiveness of Context Clues 30
Types of Knowledge Contributing to Contextual Inference 34
Related Experiments on the Effect of Context 36
Reading Difficulties of the EFL Students in Taiwan 40
Summary 45

CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 48
A Pilot Study 48
Participants 52
Instrumentation 53
Vocabulary Levels Test 53
Frequency Level Checker 53
Design of Vocabulary Test with Context Clues 54
Design of Strategy Categories 55
Procedures of Data Collection 57
Data Analysis 58
Scoring the Subjects’ Vocabulary Level 58
Scoring the Subjects’ Decoding Performances 59
Scoring the Subjects’ Performances in Strategy Selection 59
Statistical Procedures 60
Summary 60

CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS 62
Overall Results of Vocabulary Levels Test 63
Overall Results of Vocabulary Test with Context Clues 65
Performances in Decoding Unknown Words 66
Performances in Strategy Selection for Decoding 67
Differences between Results of VLT and Results of Decoding Unknown Words on VTCC 67
Correlations between Results of Decoding Unknown Words and Results of Strategy Selection for Decoding on VTCC 70
Proficient Learners’ and Less Proficient Learners’ Performances in Decoding Unknown Words with the Presence of Context Clues 73
Proficient Learners’ and Less Proficient Learners’ Performances in Strategy Selection 74
Summary 75

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 77
Discussions of Findings 78
The Participants’ Decoding Performances on VLT and VTCC 79
The Participants’ Vocabulary Level 79
The Participants’ Decoding Performances in Isolation and in Context 80
The Participants’ Performances in Strategy Selection 83
Correlation between the Participants’ Performances in Decoding and in Strategy Selection 86
Differences between Proficient and Less Proficient Participants 87
Conclusions 89
Implications 90
Implications for College English Reading Instructors 90
Implications for Designers of English Reading Materials 91
Recommendations for Future Research 92
Summary 93

REFERENCES 96

APPENDICES 110
APPENDIX A Vocabulary Levels Test 110
APPENDIX B Vocabulary Test with Context Clues 117

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