Derivative Word Forms: What Do Learners Know? Schmitt, N. & Zimmerman, C.B., (2002). TESOL Quarterly, 36(2), 145-169. Presented by Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman,

Derivative Word Forms: What Do Learners Know?

Schmitt, N. & Zimmerman, C.B., (2002).

TESOL Quarterly, 36(2), 145-169.

Presented by Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman, Ph.D.

TESOL ProgramDepartment of Modern Languages and Literatures

[email protected]

November 3, 2010

Background of Study Common Assumption

Previous Research

Resulting Research Design for this Study

Examples of Words from The Academic Word List (AWL )

Authority Assume Traditional Select Philosophy Access Ethnic Liberal

Minimum Release Survive Ideology Inevitably Coherent Persist

Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 213-238.

Research Design

Word Family Knowledge is studied in how it relates to Overall Word Knowledge.

Overall word knowledge is addressed with a scale approach (Test of Academic Lexicon: TAL)

Word Family Knowledge is addressed with a productive derivative test (Later referred to as Test of English Derivatives: TED)

Test of Academic Lexicon (TAL) A

I don’t know the word

BI have seen the word

before but am not sure

of the meaning.

CI understand

the word when I see or

hear it in a sentence but I don’t know how to use it

in my own speaking or

writing.

DI know the

word and can use it in my

own speaking and writing

[If you select this one,

please write a SENTENCE which uses

the word and shows its

meaning. ]

1. Stimulate

2. Sloist

Test of English Derivatives (TED)

Example:PreciseNoun A doctor must work with

________.Verb A doctor ___________.Adjective Medical care requires _____ work. Adverb Doctors must work _____________.

Test of English Derivatives (TED)

Example:PreciseNoun A doctor must work with precision.Verb A doctor _____X______.Adjective Medical care requires precise

work. Adverb Doctors must work precisely.

Derivative Forms Produced for Words Rated at Each TAL Level

(Abridged form of Table 3 ; n=86)

A B C D

ALL WORDS

ESL 35.9% 44.2% 50.6% 60.9%

NOUNS

ESL 23.5% 38.6% 55.8% 68.1%

VERBS

ESL 26.1% 54.0 57.5 73.8

ADJECTIVES

ESL 47.1 40.3 46.3 53.7

ADVERBS

ESL 47.1 43.8 42.9 48.0

Derivative Forms Produced for Words Rated at Each TAL Level

A B C D

ALL WORDS

ESL 35.9% 44.2% 50.6% 60.9%

MA-ELT 87.5 83.3 74.1 79.4

ESL & MA-ELT 36.8 44.8 53.0 65.5

Native Speakers

- - - 91.2

Words for Which Participants ProducedZero, One, Two, Three and Four Derivative Forms

0 1 2 3 4

ESL & MA-ELT

5.5 18.3 28.4 29.5 18.2

Conclusion• So the jump from receptive to productive

knowledge is reflected in better mastery of productive derivative forms in each of the 4 word classes.

ButBut• The assumption that learners automatically

pick up the various derivative forms is probably incorrect.

Bottom LineTo Know a Word means

to know a great deal about it.

Derivative knowledge cannot be taken

for granted.