形態素と文脈の手がかりに基づく第二言語の未知語推測と記憶保持

抄録

　　This study investigated the relationship between morphological and contextual clues and second-language (L2) vocabulary learning through lexical inferencing. Previous studies have demonstrated that guessing word meaning is a good resource for vocabulary learning. Past L2 literature has also shown that use of in-text clues is a key to inferring word meaning and retaining new vocabulary. However, the types of clues that affect inference and new vocabulary acquisition still need to be examined. To address this research gap, I explored how L2 vocabulary learning through lexical inferencing would be affected by clues available in text, particularly morphology and informativeness of context. In the present study, 79 Japanese university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) inferred the meanings of 22 words that contained both known and unknown prefixes (prefix availability) and were in sentences with varying levels of informative context (contextual informativeness). After one week, participants were asked to recall the inferred meanings. The result showed a positive effect of prefix availability on lexical inferencing when context was informative. Moreover, prefix availability was found to positively affect the retention of inferred word meaning when context was not informative. The present study discusses implications for EFL education and research based on these findings.