Developing a vocabulary size test in Greek as a foreign language

Developing a Developing a vocabulary size testvocabulary size test

in Greek as a foreign in Greek as a foreign languagelanguage

James MiltonJames Milton

ThomaThomaï Alexiouï Alexiou

VocabularyVocabulary

the core component of all the language skillsthe core component of all the language skills (Long and Richards, 2007, xii)(Long and Richards, 2007, xii)

without grammar very little can be conveyed, without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary without vocabulary nothingnothing can be conveyed can be conveyed (Wilkins, 1972, 111)(Wilkins, 1972, 111)

But formal tools to model and measure But formal tools to model and measure vocabulary knowledge are very recent vocabulary knowledge are very recent

and mainly restricted to EFLand mainly restricted to EFL

Vocabulary Size Vocabulary Size Estimates tend to…Estimates tend to…

Sample of the most frequent vocabularySample of the most frequent vocabulary the most frequent vocabulary tends the most frequent vocabulary tends (but only (but only

tends) tends) to be learned earliestto be learned earliest (Alexiou & (Alexiou & Konstantakis, forthcoming)Konstantakis, forthcoming)

the most frequent vocabulary gives greatest the most frequent vocabulary gives greatest coverage (and comprehension)coverage (and comprehension)

textbook neutral (unless they are very odd)textbook neutral (unless they are very odd) give reliable, believable give reliable, believable estimates of a estimates of a

learner’s knowledgelearner’s knowledge ButBut

underestimateunderestimate

Please look at these words. Some of these words are real French words and some are invented but are made to look like real words. Please tick the words that you know or can use. Here is an example.

chien Thank you for your help.

de de distancdistancee

battrebattre absurdeabsurde achevéachevé manchmanchirir

Vocabulary learning profileVocabulary learning profile(Meara, 1992)(Meara, 1992)

1 2 3 4 5

1000 word frequency bands

1 2 3 4 5

Vocabulary and Vocabulary and placementplacement

Mean annual progress in EFL school

Junior A B C D E FCE

Vocabulary size and Vocabulary size and CEFRCEFR

CEFR levelCEFR level XLex (5000 max)XLex (5000 max)

EnglishEnglish FrenchFrench

A1A1 <1500<1500 11601160

A2A2 1500 - 25001500 - 2500 16501650

B1B1 2750 - 3250 2750 - 3250 24222422

B2B2 3250 - 37503250 - 3750 26302630

C1C1 3750 - 45003750 - 4500 32123212

C2C2 4500 - 50004500 - 5000 35253525

A Greek vocabulary testA Greek vocabulary test

drawn on the drawn on the HellenicHellenic National Corpus National Corpus (with thanks to (with thanks to Dr Dr George Mikros)George Mikros)

derived from NEA a high circulation derived from NEA a high circulation newspaper in Greecenewspaper in Greece

WordsWords No of FilesNo of Files

CultureCulture 30000483000048 59675967

SociopoliticalSociopolitical 30002753000275 84808480

SportsSports 30002963000296 1034910349

TotalTotal 90006199000619 2479624796

To give us a workable To give us a workable frequency list to draw items frequency list to draw items

from…from… proper names and other named entities stripped proper names and other named entities stripped

outout corpus is lemmatisedcorpus is lemmatised

common inflections work differently in English and in common inflections work differently in English and in GreekGreek

But this process brings the corpus into line with the But this process brings the corpus into line with the English and French corpora and makes them more similarEnglish and French corpora and makes them more similar

most frequent 5000 words taken as the basis of a most frequent 5000 words taken as the basis of a test equivalent to the EFL and French tests test equivalent to the EFL and French tests shownshown 20 words from each 1000 word frequency band20 words from each 1000 word frequency band 20 pseudo20 pseudo-Greek -Greek wordswords

Frequency and coverageFrequency and coverage

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

words by frequency

French

English

Frequency and coverageFrequency and coverage

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

words by frequency

French

English

A1 A2 B1 B2

ObjectivesObjectivesTo examine:To examine: whether the test is reliablewhether the test is reliable whether the frequency effects whether the frequency effects

observable in other language can be observable in other language can be seen in Greekseen in Greek

whether the frequency profile whether the frequency profile changes with level and knowledge in changes with level and knowledge in the expected mannerthe expected manner

whether the test differentiates whether the test differentiates between learners of different levels in between learners of different levels in predictable ways (and suggests predictable ways (and suggests vocabulary knowledge required for vocabulary knowledge required for each CEFR level)each CEFR level)

Reliability: An Reliability: An individual’s scoresindividual’s scores

1 2 3 4 5

A larger pilot studyA larger pilot study 64 64 adult adult studentsstudents Learning Greek Learning Greek in Thessaloniki at the in Thessaloniki at the

School of Modern GreekSchool of Modern Greek FFrom 1 month to 2 yearsrom 1 month to 2 years They were tested end of OctoberThey were tested end of October Ranked at 4 CEFR levelsRanked at 4 CEFR levels

A1A1 A2A2 B1B1 B2B2

Many Thanks go to Many Thanks go to Mrs Mrs MarthaVazakaMarthaVazaka, her colleagues , her colleagues and the students.and the students.

Frequency effectFrequency effect

0100200300400500600700800900

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

vocabulary band

Mean scores by CEFR Mean scores by CEFR levellevel

A1 A2 B1 B2

CEFR level

Mean scores by CEFR Mean scores by CEFR levellevel

A1 A2 B1 B2

CEFR level

CEFR CEFR levellevel

XLex (5000 max)XLex (5000 max)

EnglishEnglish FrenchFrench GreekGreek

A1A1 <1500<1500 11601160

A2A2 1500 - 1500 - 25002500

16501650

B1B1 2750 - 2750 - 3250 3250

24222422

B2B2 3250 - 3250 - 37503750

26302630

C1C1 3750 - 3750 - 45004500

32123212

C2C2 4500 - 4500 - 50005000

35253525

CEFR CEFR levellevel

XLex (5000 max)XLex (5000 max)

EnglishEnglish FrenchFrench GreekGreek

A1A1 <1500<1500 11601160 14861486

A2A2 1500 - 1500 - 25002500

16501650 22372237

B1B1 2750 - 2750 - 3250 3250

24222422 32883288

B2B2 3250 - 3250 - 37503750

26302630 39563956

C1C1 3750 - 3750 - 45004500

32123212

C2C2 4500 - 4500 - 50005000

35253525

ConclusionsConclusions ThisThis frequency based vocabulary size test frequency based vocabulary size test

in Greek as a foreign language in Greek as a foreign language is very is very workableworkable

The test successfully distinguishes The test successfully distinguishes between learners at different levels of the between learners at different levels of the CEFR framework and appears to give CEFR framework and appears to give believable figures for learners’ level of believable figures for learners’ level of vocabulary knowledgevocabulary knowledge

The figures The figures seemseem to mesh well with the to mesh well with the predictions for vocabulary suggested by predictions for vocabulary suggested by the coverage obtained from the frequency the coverage obtained from the frequency data data

Next stepsNext steps This study is a first step in validating this This study is a first step in validating this

testing tool and in order to confirm its testing tool and in order to confirm its reliability, we intend to carry out more tests reliability, we intend to carry out more tests at the end of that the end of this is academic year. academic year.

We also have some supporting evidence that We also have some supporting evidence that by using coverage figures drawn from word by using coverage figures drawn from word frequencies, we can tie the CEFR levels to frequencies, we can tie the CEFR levels to vocabulary sizes in a whole variety of vocabulary sizes in a whole variety of languages other than English, French and languages other than English, French and Greek. And that should help to make the Greek. And that should help to make the CEFR system both more robust and more CEFR system both more robust and more transparent.transparent.

ReferencesReferences

Alexiou, Alexiou, TT. . & & Konstantakis, N. ‘Lexis for Young Konstantakis, N. ‘Lexis for Young Learners: Are we heading for frequency or just Learners: Are we heading for frequency or just common sense?’common sense?’, Selection of papers for the 18th , Selection of papers for the 18th Symposium of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Symposium of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiAristotle University of Thessaloniki..

Meara, P. (1992) Meara, P. (1992) EFL Vocabulary TestsEFL Vocabulary Tests. University . University College Swansea: Centre for Applied Language College Swansea: Centre for Applied Language StudiesStudies..

Long, M.H. and Richards, J.C. (2007) Series Editors’ Long, M.H. and Richards, J.C. (2007) Series Editors’ Preface. In Daller, H., Milton, J. and Treffers-Daller, J. Preface. In Daller, H., Milton, J. and Treffers-Daller, J. Modelling and Assessing Vocabulary Knowledge. Modelling and Assessing Vocabulary Knowledge. Cambridge; Cambridge University press, xii-xiii.Cambridge; Cambridge University press, xii-xiii.

Wilkins, D.A. (1972) Wilkins, D.A. (1972) Linguistics in Language Linguistics in Language Teaching.Teaching. London; Arnold. London; Arnold.

Developing a vocabulary size test in Greek as a foreign language

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