Vocabulary learning
A comparison of learners of English as a second and third langauge
The purpose of this study is to compare the vocabulary learning of monolingual learners of English as a second language with bilingual learners of English as a third language. The study is based on data from 52 monolingual Persian-speaking learners of English and 45 bilingual Azeri-Persian-speaking learners of English. All the participants were females studying English as a foreign language at two universities in Iran. The informants were exposed to two incidental and four intentional vocabulary learning exercises. They were then measured at four difficulty levels using the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (Paribakht & Wesche, 1997). Variables such as English language proficiency, intelligence, family educational background, gender, age and type of university were controlled. The third language learners outperformed their second language counterparts at all word difficulty levels. The findings are discussed in relation to bilinguals’ higher level of executive and inhibitory control.
References
Andrews, L. & Young, J.
(
1999)
English interactions. South Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Amir Kabir
(
2002)
The English to Persian dictionary. Tehran: Amir Kabir.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bialystok, E.
(
2001)
Bilingualism in development. Cambridge: CUP.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., Grady, C., Chau, W., Ishii, R., Gunji, A. & Pantev, C.
(
2005)
Effect of bilingualism on cognitive control in the Simon task: Evidence from MEG.
NeuroImage, 241, 40–49.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., Klein, R. & Viswanathan, M.
(
2004)
Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evidence from the Simon task.
Psychology & Aging, 191, 290–303.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cenoz, J. & Valencia, J. F.
(
1994)
Additive trilingualism: Evidence from the Basque country.
Applied Psycholinguistics, 151, 195–207.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dehghani, Y.
(
2002)
Persian. Munich: Lincom Europa.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ethnologue
Languages of Iran. Retrieved November 9, 2007, from
[URL].
Fraser, C. A.
(
1999)
Lexical processing strategy use and vocabulary learning through reading.
SSLA, 211, 225–241.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hamers, J. F. & Blanc, M. H. A.
(
2000)
Bilinguality and bilingualism. Cambridge: CUP.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hatch, E. & Brown, C.
(
1995)
Vocabulary, semantics, and language education. Cambridge: CUP.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Javadi, A.
(
1989)
Azarbayjan va zaban-i an: Awza va mushkilat-i Turki-i Azari dar Iran [Azerbaijan and its language: The problems of Azeri-Turkish in Iran]. Pidmont, CA: Shirkat-i Ketab-i Jahan.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Javadi, H.
(
1996)
Azeri publications in Iran.
Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies, 81, 79–88.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jessner, U.
(
2008)
Teaching third languages: Findings, trends and challenges.
Language Teaching, 411, 15–56.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Keshavarz, M. H. & Astaneh, H.
(
2004)
The impact of bilinguality on the learning of English vocabulary as a foreign language (L3).
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 7 (4), 295–302.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lasagabaster, D.
(
2000)
The effect of three bilingual education models on linguistic creativity.
International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 381, 55–70.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Laufer, B. & Nation, P.
(
1999)
A Vocabulary-size test of controlled productive ability.
Language Testing, 16 (1), 33–51.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Modirkhamene, S.
(
2006)
The reading achievement of third language versus second language learners of English in relation to the Interdependence Hypothesis.
International Journal of Multilingualism, 13 (4), 280–295.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Muñoz, C.
(
2000)
Bilingualism and trilingualism in school students in Catalonia. In
J. Cenoz &
U. Jessner, (Eds.),
English in Europe: The acquisition of a third language. (pp. 157–178). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Okita, Y. & Jun Hai, G.
(
2001)
Learning of Japanese Kanji character by bilingual and monolingual Chinese speakers. In
J. Cenoz B. Hufeisen &
U. Jessner, (Eds.),
Looking beyond second language acquisition: Studies in tri-and multilingualism. (pp. 63–73). Tubingen: Stauffenburg.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Oxford University Press
(
1995)
Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary (5th ed.). Oxford: OUP.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Paribakht, S. T. & Wesche, M.
(
1997)
Vocabulary enhancement activities and reading for meaning in second language vocabulary development. In
J. Coady &
T. N. Huckin, (Eds.),
Second language vocabulary acquisition: A rationale for pedagogy (pp. 174–200). New York: CUP.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Peal, E. & Lambert, W. E.
(
1962)
The relation of bilingualism to intelligence.
Psychological Monographs, 761, 1–23.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Pilar, M. & Jorda, S.
(
2003)
Metapragmatic awareness and pragmatic production of third language learners of English: A focus on request acts.
The International Journal of Bilingualism, 7 (1), 43–69.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ringbom, H.
(
1987)
The role of L1 in foreign language learning. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Romaine, S.
(
1995)
Bilingualism. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sanders, M. & Meijers, G.
(
1995)
English as L3 in the elementary school.
ITL Review of Applied linguistics, 107–8, 59–78.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sanz, C.
(
2000)
Bilingual education enhances third language acquisition: Evidence from Catalonia.
Applied Psycholinguistics, 211, 23–44.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Tahririan, M. H.
(
1993)
Developing reading proficiency. Tehran: Payame Noor University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Thomas, J.
(
1988)
The role played by metalinguistic awareness in second and third language learning.
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 9 (30), 235–247.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Van Gelderen, A., Schoonen, R., de Glopper, K., Hulstijn, J., Snellings, P., Simis, A. & Stevenson, M.
(
2003)
Roles of linguistic knowledge, metacognitive knowledge and processing speed in L3, L2 and L1 reading comprehension.
The International Journal of Bilingualism., 7 (1), 7–25.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Wesche, M. & Paribakht, S. T.
(
2000)
Reading-based exercises in second language vocabulary learning: An introspective study.
The Modern Language Journal., 84 (2), 196–211.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by
Cited by 3 other publications
Karacan, Cemil Gökhan & Kenan Dikilitaş
2020.
Vocabulary Learning Strategies of Italian-Turkish Bilingual Students: Impact of Simultaneous and Sequential Acquisition.
Sustainable Multilingualism 17:1
► pp. 41 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Li, Jiaxin, Er-Hu Zhang, Haihui Zhang, Hecui Gou & Hong-Wen Cao
2024.
Retrieval practice plus feedback benefits a third language vocabulary learning.
International Journal of Multilingualism 21:2
► pp. 1014 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Oliver, Rhonda, Honglin Chen & Stephen Moore
2016.
Review of selected research in applied linguistics published in Australia (2008–2014).
Language Teaching 49:4
► pp. 513 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 18 may 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.