Abstract
Effective methods for vocabulary instruction based on the model of vocabulary growth have not yet been proposed. The present study investigated how three types of lexical networks (paradigmatic, syntagmatic, and phonological) are developed. Experiment 1 used learners' reaction time to measure link strengths between two words. The results showed that phonological networks develop first, followed by syntagmatic and paradigmatic networks. Based on the findings of Experiment 1, Experiment 2 hypothesized that the effects of three types of cue (paradigmatically, syntagmatically, and phonologically related words) on retrieval of newly learned words differ according to encoding conditions. The results showed that: (a) all types of cue were effective in retrieval of known words; and (b) phonologically related words were the most effective cues in retrieving unknown words. However, close examination of unexpected responses revealed that a disadvantage of providing phonologically related words in vocabulary instruction was that it could impede the use of semantic information.
