초록 열기/닫기 버튼
The present study sought to investigate the roles of vocabulary and grammar knowledge in second language reading in the case of Korean adolescent learners of English. To this end, 200 high school learners were asked to take three tests: a vocabulary knowledge test, a grammar knowledge test, and a reading comprehension test. The Korean version of the Vocabulary Levels Test was employed to measure the learners’ vocabulary knowledge, while grammar knowledge was measured with a 50-item multiple-choice grammar test designed by the researchers. The reading comprehension test consisted of four passages, which were each followed by five comprehension questions. The results of statistical analyses suggested that while the intersection of vocabulary and grammar accounted for most of the expected reading variance, unique properties of each of the two variables also played individual roles in explaining L2 reading comprehension. Though vocabulary seemed to have a slightly larger effect, vocabulary and grammar had similar unique effects on L2 reading. Therefore, it can be concluded that both breadth of vocabulary and grammar knowledge have equal positive effects on the reading of English passages by Korean adolescent learners of English. Theoretical implications and directions for further studies are discussed.
