Vocabulary and Comprehension: Examining the Lexicon of Selected Tertiary Students in Reading Proficiency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/ajelp.vol14.1.1.2026Keywords:
comprehension, Reading proficiency, Quality Education, Vocabulary breadth, Vocabulary depth, Vocabulary sizeAbstract
This study examined the relationship between vocabulary size and depth to the reading comprehension of tertiary students. The respondents included 36 first-year students who were enrolled in an education program for the academic year 2023-2024. Data collection involved a vocabulary size test, a word associate test, and a reading comprehension test, which were designed to measure students’ vocabulary size, vocabulary depth, and reading comprehension skills, respectively. The mean percentage scores were computed to determine the respondents’ level of vocabulary size, depth, and reading comprehension. The Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to examine the relationship between vocabulary and comprehension. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between vocabulary size and reading comprehension, as well as between vocabulary depth and reading comprehension. The findings suggest that when students have both wide vocabulary skills and a depth of vocabulary knowledge, they can also have strong reading comprehension skills. Additionally, the findings highlight that vocabulary size and depth are strong predictors of the student’s reading comprehension performance. This study also underscores the need to include teaching and enhancing students’ vocabulary skills to improve reading comprehension skills.
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