An Investigation of the Relationships and Order of the Recall/Recognition Knowledge of Vocabulary Acquisition Components in an Iranian EFL Context

Vocabulary is a powerful carrier of meaning in a language, and developing vocabulary knowledge is an essential task in the process of enhancing a foreign language. The current study explores vocabulary knowledge as a multi-component construct by analyzing various vocabulary components’ relationships and acquisition order in an Iranian EFL context. Moreover, this study aims to provide a better conceptualization of EFL vocabulary knowledge. A total of ۱۷۰ Iranian EFL learners were evaluated using eight vocabulary tests that assessed recall and recognition knowledge of derivatives, form-meaning link, multiple meanings, and collocations, following Nation’s (۲۰۲۲) framework. First, correlational analyses indicated that all measured word knowledge components were interrelated. Moreover, the Implicational Scaling analysis uncovered a uniform trend in vocabulary acquisition for these components, suggesting that recognition knowledge is obtained before recalling knowledge across all aspects. Therefore, the hierarchy pattern indicated that the participants with knowledge of higher aspects are highly likely to know the lower aspects. Furthermore, Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that word knowledge in this context can be conceptualized as a unidimensional construct. A comprehensive understanding of the nature of vocabulary knowledge and the interrelationships among its components can provide critical insights into the role of vocabulary acquisition in EFL contexts.

کلیدواژه ها:

vocabulary knowledge components ، vocabulary recall ، vocabulary recognition ، implicational scaling