Morphemic Analysis Awareness: A Boon or Bane on ESL Students’ Vocabulary Learning Strategy
This study investigated the impact of inflectional and derivational morphemic analysis awareness on ESL secondary school students’ vocabulary learning strategy. The quasi-experimental study was conducted with 106 low proficiency secondary school students in two experimental groups (inflectional and derivational) and one control group. The students’ vocabulary acquisition was assessed through two measures: Morphemic Analysis Test and Vocabulary- Morphemic Test in the pretest and posttest before and after an intervention programme. Results of ANCOVA revealed that both the experimental groups achieved a significant score in Morphemic Analysis Test and Vocabulary-Morphemic Test. However, the inflectional group obtained a fairly higher score than the derivational group. Thus, the results indicated that ESL low proficiency secondary school students performed better on inflectional morphemic awareness as compared to derivatives. The results also showed that the awareness of inflectional morphology contributed more on the vocabulary acquisition. Importantly, learning inflectional morphology can help ESL low proficiency secondary school students to develop both morphemic awareness and vocabulary gain. Theoretically, these findings show that not all morphemes are equally useful to students for their language development. Practically, these findings indicate that morphological instruction should at least be included in remediation and instructional efforts with struggling learners across all grade levels, allowing them to focus on meaning within the word before they attempt the text in large for better comprehension. Also, by methodologically, by conducting individualized intervention and assessment this study provided fresh empirical evidence to support the existing literature on morphemic analysis awareness and vocabulary learning strategy. Thus, a major pedagogical implication of the study is that morphemic analysis awareness strategy is a definite boon for ESL secondary school students in learning English vocabulary.
[1] Donohue, R. (2000). A case and strategies for vocabulary instruction.
http://buddies.org/articles/Voc1.html
[2] Caposey, T. & Heider, B. (2003). Improving reading comprehension
through cooperative learning. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/
ED478463.pdf
[3] Asgari, A & Mustapha, G. (2011). The type of vocabulary learning
strategies Used by ESL students in University Putra Malaysia. English
Language Teaching 4 (2).
[4] Letchumanan, K. & Tan Bee Hoon. (2011). Using Computer Games to
Improve Secondary School Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition in
English. Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 20 (4): 1005 - 1018 (2012)
[5] Khodadoust, E., Aliasin, S.H. & Khosravi, R. (2013), The Relationship
between Morphological Awareness and Receptive Vocabulary
Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners.
http://soeagra.com/ijert/ijertmarch2013/10.pdf
[6] Rupley, William H., Logan, John W., & Nichols, William D. (1999).
Vocabulary instruction in a balanced reading program. Reading Teacher,
52(4), p336.
[7] Wilkins, D. (1972). Linguistics in language teaching. London: Arnold.
[8] Talerico, D.M. (2007). A Comparison of morphemic analysis and whole
word meaning instruction on Sixth-Grade students’ knowledge of
prefixes, taught words and transfer words. http://dscholarship.
pitt.edu/9804/1/talericodmc_etdpitt2007.pdf
[9] Ebbers, S.M (2009). Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes,
Prefixes, and Roots for Intermediate Grades: Research base and
curriculum overview. http://readingway.com/books/vtm-research-baseand-
curriculum-overview.pdf
[10] Klapper, J. (ed) (2001) Teaching Languages in Higher Education,
London: CILT.
[11] Abdullah, S. A. (2004). MUET and IELTS preparation: Can one size fit
both? In M.E. Vethamani (Series Ed.) & S. A. Abdullah, Preparing
students for the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), 100-127.
Petaling Jaya: Sasbadi Sdn. Bhd.
[12] Kaur, N., & Kabilan, M.K. (2007). Autonomy in ESL: To what extent?
In Ambigapathy Pandian, Koo Yew Lie & Peter Kell (Eds.) Innovation
and Intervention in ELT. (pp.133-146). Serdang: UPM Press
[13] Lourdunathan, J., & Menon, S. 2005. Developing speaking skills
through interaction strategy training. The English Teacher, 3: 1-18.
[14] Malek, S. (2000). Problems in speaking English among Malaysian
students in Perlis. Unpublished master’s thesis, Universiti Putra
Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
[15] Pillai, R. N. (2004). Using mnemonics to improve vocabulary, boost
memory and enhance creativity in the ESL classroom. The English
Teacher, 23: 62-83.
[16] Zakaria, Z. (2005). Dictionary as tool in vocabulary acquisition for rural
students. Unpublished Master’s Dissertation, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
[17] Ramachandran, S. D., & Abdul Rahim, H. (2004). Meaning recall and
retention: the impact of the translation method on elementary level
learners’ vocabulary learning. RELC Journal, 35(2): 161-178.
[18] Sharifah Sheha, S.A.B. (2005). Teaching Strategies to Counter Students”
Problems in MUET-based Speaking Exam. Oracy in Focus,
Ganakumaran Subramaniam & Shahizah Ismail Hamdan (Eds).
[19] Jalaluddin, N.H, Mat Awal, N. & Abu Bakar, K. (2008). The mastery of
English language among lower secondary school students in Malaysia:
A Linguistic analysis. European Journal of Social Sciences. 7(2).
[20] Kaweera, C. (2013). Writing error: A Review of interlingual and
intralingual interference in EFL context. English Language Teaching, 6
(7). Canadian Center of Science and Education.
http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/viewFile/27999/168
87
[21] Chen, X., Hao, M., Geva, E., Zhu, J., & Shu, H. (2008). The role of
compound awareness in Chinese children’s vocabulary acquisition and
character reading. Springer Science+Business.
http://psychbrain.bnu.edu.cn/teachcms/res_base/teachcms/upload/channe
l/file/2010_4/12_23/pi4ugi1jput3.pdf
[22] Tatabei, O. (2011). The Relationship between Morphological Awareness
and Vocabulary Size of EFL Learners. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/
index.php/elt/article/view/13382
[23] Lawrence, J.M. (2008). Differences in morphological awareness skills
between children with phonological impairment and children with
typical development. http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/cgi/
viewcontent.cgi?article=2848&context=etd
[24] Curinga, R. (2014). The effect of morphological awareness on reading
comprehension: a study with adolescent Spanish-English emergent
bilinguals.
http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2848&context=et
d
[25] Carlisle, J. F. (2000). Awareness of the structure and meaning of
morphologically complex words: Impact on reading. Reading and
Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(3-4), 169-190.
[26] Chang, C. M., Wagner, R. K., Muse, A., W.-Y., B., & Chow, H. S.
(2005). The role of morphological awareness in children’s vocabulary
acquisition in English. Applied Psycholinguistics, 26, 415–435.
[27] Anglin, J. M. (1993). Vocabulary development: A morphological
analysis. Monographs of the Society of Research in Child Development,
58 (10; 238).
[28] Wang, M., Ko, I.Y., & Choi, J. (2009).The importance of morphological
awareness in Korean–English biliteracy acquisition. Contemporary
Educational Psychology. 34( 2), 132–142.
[29] Vermeer, A. (2001). Breadth and depth of vocabulary in relation to
acquisition and frequency of input. Applied Psycholinguistics 22, 2,
217-234.
[30] Zimmerman, K. (2005). Newly placed versus continuing students:
Comparing vocabulary size. ESL Reporter, 38(1), 52–60.
[31] Schmitt, N. & McCarthy, M. (1997). Vocabulary: Description,
acquisition and pedagogy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
[32] Carlisle, J.F (2004). Morphological processes that influence learning to
read. In C.A stone, E.R. Silliman, B.J. Ehren & K.Apel (Eds.) Handbook
of language and literacy. NY:Guilford Press.
[33] Bellomo, T.S. (2009). Morphological Analysis and Vocabulary
Development: Critical Criteria (p. 45) http://www.readingmatrix.com/
articles/bellomo/article.pdf
[34] Zhang, D., & Koda, K. (2013). Morphological awareness and reading
comprehension in a foreign language: A study of young Chinese EFL
learners. Science Direct System, 41,901-913.
[35] Saif, A.G.A. (2011). The importance of the processes of word-formation
in the acquisition of English as a foreign language: a case study of
Yemeni tertiary students of English. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/
bitstream/10603/3271/7/07_abstract.pdf
[36] Windsor, J., Scott, C.M & Street,C.K. (2000). Verb and moun
morphology in the spoken and written language of children with learning disabilities. Journal of Speech, language, and Hearing Research,
43, 1322-1336.
[37] Carlisle, J. F., & Fleming, J. (2003). Lexical processing of
morphologically complex words in the elementary years. Scientific
Studies of Reading, 7(3), 239-253.
[38] Morin, R. (2003). Derivational morphological analysis as a strategy for
vocabulary acquisition in Spanish. The Modern Language Journal, 87,
200-221.
[39] Long, D. & Rule, A. C. (2004). Learning vocabulary through morpheme
word family object boxes. Journal of Authentic Learning, 1, 40-50
[40] Schiff, R., & Calif, S. (2007). Role of phonological and morphological
awareness in L2 oral word reading. Language Learning, 57, 271–298.
[41] Varatharajoo, C., Asmawi, A. & Abedalaziz, N.AM. (2014). Morphemic
Analysis Awareness among ESL Low Proficiency Secondary School
Students: A Strategy for Assessing VocabularyDevelopment.
http://repository.um.edu.my/40392/1/FULL%20PAPER%20MELTA%2
02014.pdf
[42] Al Farsi, B. (2008). Morphological awareness and its relationship to
vocabulary knowledge and morphological complexity among Omani
EFL University students. Unpublished Master's Thesis, University of
Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
[43] Barton, P. E. (2001) Facing the hard facts in education reform.
Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
http://www.ets.org/research/pic/facingfacts.pdf
[44] Chamot, A. U., & O’Malley, J. M. (1990). A cognitive academic
language learning approach: An ESL content-based curriculum.
Wheaton: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.
[45] Kidd, R. & Marquardson, B. (1997). The Foresee Approach to
Integrated ESL Instruction http://teslcanadajournal.ca/index.php/tesl/
article/viewFile/689/520
[46] Lee, J. (2011). Size matters: Early vocabulary as a predictor of language
and literacy competence. Applied Psycholinguistics, 32, 69-92.
[47] Sekaran, U. & Bougie, R. (2010). Research methods for business: A
skill building approach (5th ed.). Chichester: John Willey & Sons Ltd.
[48] Rispens, J. E. McBride-Chang, C. & Reitsma, P. (2007). Morphological
awareness and early and advanced word recognition and spelling in
Dutch. Springer Science+Business MediaB.V.2007
http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/865/art%253A10.1007%252Fs1
1145-007-
90777.pdf?auth66=1423734081_aa9d7c12030b3fecc124c1bdb74889a1
&ext=.pdf
[49] van Hoogmoed, A.H., Knoors, H., Schreuder, R. & Verhoeven, L.
(2012) Complex word reading in Dutch deaf children and adults.
Research in Developmental Disabilities 34 (2013) 1083–1089
[1] Donohue, R. (2000). A case and strategies for vocabulary instruction.
http://buddies.org/articles/Voc1.html
[2] Caposey, T. & Heider, B. (2003). Improving reading comprehension
through cooperative learning. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/
ED478463.pdf
[3] Asgari, A & Mustapha, G. (2011). The type of vocabulary learning
strategies Used by ESL students in University Putra Malaysia. English
Language Teaching 4 (2).
[4] Letchumanan, K. & Tan Bee Hoon. (2011). Using Computer Games to
Improve Secondary School Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition in
English. Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 20 (4): 1005 - 1018 (2012)
[5] Khodadoust, E., Aliasin, S.H. & Khosravi, R. (2013), The Relationship
between Morphological Awareness and Receptive Vocabulary
Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners.
http://soeagra.com/ijert/ijertmarch2013/10.pdf
[6] Rupley, William H., Logan, John W., & Nichols, William D. (1999).
Vocabulary instruction in a balanced reading program. Reading Teacher,
52(4), p336.
[7] Wilkins, D. (1972). Linguistics in language teaching. London: Arnold.
[8] Talerico, D.M. (2007). A Comparison of morphemic analysis and whole
word meaning instruction on Sixth-Grade students’ knowledge of
prefixes, taught words and transfer words. http://dscholarship.
pitt.edu/9804/1/talericodmc_etdpitt2007.pdf
[9] Ebbers, S.M (2009). Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes,
Prefixes, and Roots for Intermediate Grades: Research base and
curriculum overview. http://readingway.com/books/vtm-research-baseand-
curriculum-overview.pdf
[10] Klapper, J. (ed) (2001) Teaching Languages in Higher Education,
London: CILT.
[11] Abdullah, S. A. (2004). MUET and IELTS preparation: Can one size fit
both? In M.E. Vethamani (Series Ed.) & S. A. Abdullah, Preparing
students for the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), 100-127.
Petaling Jaya: Sasbadi Sdn. Bhd.
[12] Kaur, N., & Kabilan, M.K. (2007). Autonomy in ESL: To what extent?
In Ambigapathy Pandian, Koo Yew Lie & Peter Kell (Eds.) Innovation
and Intervention in ELT. (pp.133-146). Serdang: UPM Press
[13] Lourdunathan, J., & Menon, S. 2005. Developing speaking skills
through interaction strategy training. The English Teacher, 3: 1-18.
[14] Malek, S. (2000). Problems in speaking English among Malaysian
students in Perlis. Unpublished master’s thesis, Universiti Putra
Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
[15] Pillai, R. N. (2004). Using mnemonics to improve vocabulary, boost
memory and enhance creativity in the ESL classroom. The English
Teacher, 23: 62-83.
[16] Zakaria, Z. (2005). Dictionary as tool in vocabulary acquisition for rural
students. Unpublished Master’s Dissertation, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
[17] Ramachandran, S. D., & Abdul Rahim, H. (2004). Meaning recall and
retention: the impact of the translation method on elementary level
learners’ vocabulary learning. RELC Journal, 35(2): 161-178.
[18] Sharifah Sheha, S.A.B. (2005). Teaching Strategies to Counter Students”
Problems in MUET-based Speaking Exam. Oracy in Focus,
Ganakumaran Subramaniam & Shahizah Ismail Hamdan (Eds).
[19] Jalaluddin, N.H, Mat Awal, N. & Abu Bakar, K. (2008). The mastery of
English language among lower secondary school students in Malaysia:
A Linguistic analysis. European Journal of Social Sciences. 7(2).
[20] Kaweera, C. (2013). Writing error: A Review of interlingual and
intralingual interference in EFL context. English Language Teaching, 6
(7). Canadian Center of Science and Education.
http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/viewFile/27999/168
87
[21] Chen, X., Hao, M., Geva, E., Zhu, J., & Shu, H. (2008). The role of
compound awareness in Chinese children’s vocabulary acquisition and
character reading. Springer Science+Business.
http://psychbrain.bnu.edu.cn/teachcms/res_base/teachcms/upload/channe
l/file/2010_4/12_23/pi4ugi1jput3.pdf
[22] Tatabei, O. (2011). The Relationship between Morphological Awareness
and Vocabulary Size of EFL Learners. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/
index.php/elt/article/view/13382
[23] Lawrence, J.M. (2008). Differences in morphological awareness skills
between children with phonological impairment and children with
typical development. http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/cgi/
viewcontent.cgi?article=2848&context=etd
[24] Curinga, R. (2014). The effect of morphological awareness on reading
comprehension: a study with adolescent Spanish-English emergent
bilinguals.
http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2848&context=et
d
[25] Carlisle, J. F. (2000). Awareness of the structure and meaning of
morphologically complex words: Impact on reading. Reading and
Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(3-4), 169-190.
[26] Chang, C. M., Wagner, R. K., Muse, A., W.-Y., B., & Chow, H. S.
(2005). The role of morphological awareness in children’s vocabulary
acquisition in English. Applied Psycholinguistics, 26, 415–435.
[27] Anglin, J. M. (1993). Vocabulary development: A morphological
analysis. Monographs of the Society of Research in Child Development,
58 (10; 238).
[28] Wang, M., Ko, I.Y., & Choi, J. (2009).The importance of morphological
awareness in Korean–English biliteracy acquisition. Contemporary
Educational Psychology. 34( 2), 132–142.
[29] Vermeer, A. (2001). Breadth and depth of vocabulary in relation to
acquisition and frequency of input. Applied Psycholinguistics 22, 2,
217-234.
[30] Zimmerman, K. (2005). Newly placed versus continuing students:
Comparing vocabulary size. ESL Reporter, 38(1), 52–60.
[31] Schmitt, N. & McCarthy, M. (1997). Vocabulary: Description,
acquisition and pedagogy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
[32] Carlisle, J.F (2004). Morphological processes that influence learning to
read. In C.A stone, E.R. Silliman, B.J. Ehren & K.Apel (Eds.) Handbook
of language and literacy. NY:Guilford Press.
[33] Bellomo, T.S. (2009). Morphological Analysis and Vocabulary
Development: Critical Criteria (p. 45) http://www.readingmatrix.com/
articles/bellomo/article.pdf
[34] Zhang, D., & Koda, K. (2013). Morphological awareness and reading
comprehension in a foreign language: A study of young Chinese EFL
learners. Science Direct System, 41,901-913.
[35] Saif, A.G.A. (2011). The importance of the processes of word-formation
in the acquisition of English as a foreign language: a case study of
Yemeni tertiary students of English. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/
bitstream/10603/3271/7/07_abstract.pdf
[36] Windsor, J., Scott, C.M & Street,C.K. (2000). Verb and moun
morphology in the spoken and written language of children with learning disabilities. Journal of Speech, language, and Hearing Research,
43, 1322-1336.
[37] Carlisle, J. F., & Fleming, J. (2003). Lexical processing of
morphologically complex words in the elementary years. Scientific
Studies of Reading, 7(3), 239-253.
[38] Morin, R. (2003). Derivational morphological analysis as a strategy for
vocabulary acquisition in Spanish. The Modern Language Journal, 87,
200-221.
[39] Long, D. & Rule, A. C. (2004). Learning vocabulary through morpheme
word family object boxes. Journal of Authentic Learning, 1, 40-50
[40] Schiff, R., & Calif, S. (2007). Role of phonological and morphological
awareness in L2 oral word reading. Language Learning, 57, 271–298.
[41] Varatharajoo, C., Asmawi, A. & Abedalaziz, N.AM. (2014). Morphemic
Analysis Awareness among ESL Low Proficiency Secondary School
Students: A Strategy for Assessing VocabularyDevelopment.
http://repository.um.edu.my/40392/1/FULL%20PAPER%20MELTA%2
02014.pdf
[42] Al Farsi, B. (2008). Morphological awareness and its relationship to
vocabulary knowledge and morphological complexity among Omani
EFL University students. Unpublished Master's Thesis, University of
Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
[43] Barton, P. E. (2001) Facing the hard facts in education reform.
Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
http://www.ets.org/research/pic/facingfacts.pdf
[44] Chamot, A. U., & O’Malley, J. M. (1990). A cognitive academic
language learning approach: An ESL content-based curriculum.
Wheaton: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.
[45] Kidd, R. & Marquardson, B. (1997). The Foresee Approach to
Integrated ESL Instruction http://teslcanadajournal.ca/index.php/tesl/
article/viewFile/689/520
[46] Lee, J. (2011). Size matters: Early vocabulary as a predictor of language
and literacy competence. Applied Psycholinguistics, 32, 69-92.
[47] Sekaran, U. & Bougie, R. (2010). Research methods for business: A
skill building approach (5th ed.). Chichester: John Willey & Sons Ltd.
[48] Rispens, J. E. McBride-Chang, C. & Reitsma, P. (2007). Morphological
awareness and early and advanced word recognition and spelling in
Dutch. Springer Science+Business MediaB.V.2007
http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/865/art%253A10.1007%252Fs1
1145-007-
90777.pdf?auth66=1423734081_aa9d7c12030b3fecc124c1bdb74889a1
&ext=.pdf
[49] van Hoogmoed, A.H., Knoors, H., Schreuder, R. & Verhoeven, L.
(2012) Complex word reading in Dutch deaf children and adults.
Research in Developmental Disabilities 34 (2013) 1083–1089
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:70888", author = "Chandrakala Varatharajoo and Adelina Binti Asmawi and Nabeel Abdallah Mohammad Abedalaziz", title = "Morphemic Analysis Awareness: A Boon or Bane on ESL Students’ Vocabulary Learning Strategy", abstract = "This study investigated the impact of inflectional and derivational morphemic analysis awareness on ESL secondary school students’ vocabulary learning strategy. The quasi-experimental study was conducted with 106 low proficiency secondary school students in two experimental groups (inflectional and derivational) and one control group. The students’ vocabulary acquisition was assessed through two measures: Morphemic Analysis Test and Vocabulary- Morphemic Test in the pretest and posttest before and after an intervention programme. Results of ANCOVA revealed that both the experimental groups achieved a significant score in Morphemic Analysis Test and Vocabulary-Morphemic Test. However, the inflectional group obtained a fairly higher score than the derivational group. Thus, the results indicated that ESL low proficiency secondary school students performed better on inflectional morphemic awareness as compared to derivatives. The results also showed that the awareness of inflectional morphology contributed more on the vocabulary acquisition. Importantly, learning inflectional morphology can help ESL low proficiency secondary school students to develop both morphemic awareness and vocabulary gain. Theoretically, these findings show that not all morphemes are equally useful to students for their language development. Practically, these findings indicate that morphological instruction should at least be included in remediation and instructional efforts with struggling learners across all grade levels, allowing them to focus on meaning within the word before they attempt the text in large for better comprehension. Also, by methodologically, by conducting individualized intervention and assessment this study provided fresh empirical evidence to support the existing literature on morphemic analysis awareness and vocabulary learning strategy. Thus, a major pedagogical implication of the study is that morphemic analysis awareness strategy is a definite boon for ESL secondary school students in learning English vocabulary.
", keywords = "ESL, instruction, morphemic analysis, vocabulary.", volume = "9", number = "7", pages = "2513-7", }
