Investigating Socio-Linguistic Factors and the Exploitation of Contextual Clues to Infer Word Meanings through Reading

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study attempts to determine the influence of socio-linguistic factors on the exploitation of contextual clues for EFL unknown/unfamiliar word meaning inferencing in reading. The socio-linguistic factors concern learners’ age, EFL learning duration, first language use duration, first language use frequency, first language reading ability, first language reading inability. The investigated contextual clues are synonymous clues, antonymous clues, morphological/derivational clues, definitional/ paraphrasal/ restatement clues, example/explanation clues, French-related clues, thematic/collocational clues. A socio-linguistic background questionnaire, a pre-test and a post-test are the data collection instruments. A sample of 110 secondary school students divided into experimental (55) and control (55) groups are involved in this study. Composed of Lower-sixth formers/SHS2 students, respondents were chosen through a simple and single-stage sampling technique called quota sampling technique considering the students’ alphabetical list. The data are analysed quantitatively by means of the Statistical Package in Social Services (SPSS), version 17.0 (2008). The results indicate that socio-linguistic factors enumerated above do not influence the exploitation of contextual clues for unknown/ unfamiliar word meanings inferencing during the activity of reading.

Cuvinte-cheie: factori sociolingvistici, vârstă, învățarea limbii engleze ca limbă străină, limbă maternă, indicii, predarea/învățarea vocabularului, sensul cuvintelor, lectură

REZUMAT

Prin acest studiu cvasi-experimental, încearcăm să determinăm influența factorilor sociolingvistici asupra exploatării indiciilor contextuale pentru deducerea sensului cuvintelor necunoscute/nefamiliare în timpul lecturii. Factorii sociolingvistici sunt vârsta elevilor, durata de învățare a limbii engleze, durata de utilizare a limbii materne, frecvența de utilizare a limbii materne, capacitatea sau incapacitatea de a citi în limba maternă. Indiciile contextuale sunt sinonimia, antonimia, morfologia/derivația, definiția/parafraza, exemplele/ explicațiile, indiciile în limba franceză și indiciile tematice/alocarea. Un chestionar, un pre-test și un post-test au servit drept instrumente de colectare a datelor. Eșantionul este format din 110 elevi de liceu, împărțiți în grupe experimentale (55) și de control (55). Tehnica de eșantionare a fost tehnica simplă cu un singur pas sau tehnica cotei, având în vedere lista alfabetică a elevilor. Datele cantitative au fost analizate folosind software-ul SPSS (2008), versiunea 17.0. Rezultatele au relevat faptul că factorii sociolingvistici citați mai sus nu influențează exploatarea indiciilor contextuale pentru deducerea sensului cuvintelor necunoscute/nefamiliare în timpul lecturii.

LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION

English

UDC: 811.133.1`27

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Received: Septembre 1, 2024 | Reviewed: Septembre 12, 2024 | Accepted for publication: October 1, 2024

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