An Investigation of Productive Vocabulary in Upper Elementary: Corpus-Based Lexical Analysis of Grade 4 Learners' Expository Writing
Abstract
This study investigated the lexical resources that a sample of Grade 4 learners (n = 259) used to fulfill an expository writing task. Compositions were evaluated by two raters using an assessment rubric, given holistic ratings, and assigned to groups representing four standards of writing proficiency (limited, adequate, proficient, and excellent). Next, vocabulary profiles were generated for the compositions with online software. Indices of lexical diversity and sophistication were gleaned, including the number of tokens, types, word families, and advanced types used in each composition. ANOVA revealed substantial differences in these indices among the four groups. All lexical indices examined were found to be strong predictors of writing proficiency. Lastly, medium-sized correlations were found between holistic ratings of compositions and learners’ English Language Arts scores on the Grade 3 Provincial Achievement Test written one year earlier. Implications for language pedagogy and policy are discussed within the context of elementary education.
Description
Keywords
Education--Elementary, Education--Tests and Measurements
Citation
Wojtalewicz, B. J. (2016). An Investigation of Productive Vocabulary in Upper Elementary: Corpus-Based Lexical Analysis of Grade 4 Learners' Expository Writing (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24914