Does size matter?

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2023-01-23

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en

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This study reports on the influence of vocabulary size on reading proficiency as measured by the nationwide final examination for English in The Netherlands. Forty participants were tested on their vocabulary size and reading proficiency. The results were retrieved from having participants fill in a vocabulary size test, the DIALANG reading assessment and a reading test containing test items from previous nationwide examinations. With the help of correlation analysis, it was found that vocabulary size and reading proficiency are positively correlated at HAVO level, but not at VWO level. Next to this, a vocabulary load analysis was carried out to determine the influence of vocabulary on the distinction between B2 and C1 texts. This analysis found that vocabulary load is not one of the determining factors in categorising these reading texts per level. This study emphasises the usefulness of adding vocabulary size to reading outcomes per CEFR level.

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