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A corpus-based analysis of lexical profile and semantic grouping in the mastery in reading textbooks for Thai EFL learners |
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| รหัสดีโอไอ | |
| Title | A corpus-based analysis of lexical profile and semantic grouping in the mastery in reading textbooks for Thai EFL learners |
| Creator | Rattana Chanwan |
| Contributor | Attapol Khamkhien, Advisor |
| Publisher | Thammasat University |
| Publication Year | 2568 |
| Keyword | Lexical profiling, Semantic organization, Corpus linguistics, Lexical coverage, EFL learners |
| Abstract | An investigation was conducted into the lexical profile and semantic structure of 60 passages of reading material from the Mastery in Reading series (books one to three), which form a corpus for Thai students learning to speak and read English as a foreign language (EFL). The corpus, containing 4,061 lexical types and 35,376 running words, was assessed through AntConc software to determine the distribution of vocabulary, as well as the contextual patterns associated with each word. The analysis of the lexical content of the texts (using both the New General Service List (NGSL) and New Academic Word List (NAWL)) demonstrated that 89.24% of the text was made up of high-frequency general words, while the remaining 0.78% comprised academic vocabulary. This accounted for a cumulative percentage coverage of 90.02% – less than the 95% required for effective reading comprehension. In addition, the results of concordance analysis suggested that the off-list vocabulary (9.98%) was very well integrated into recurring semantic networks across multiple thematic categories, such as Science and Exploration and Environment. Although the reading materials require high levels of lexical proficiency and are beyond the independent reading abilities of many Thai learners, they contain many authentic themes. These findings highlight the need for teachers to implement instructional scaffolding and the use of thematic vocabulary groups to connect the conceptual differences between the texts and facilitate the retention of vocabulary for learners over an extended time. |
