Assessing Elementary School EFL Learners' Vocabulary Knowledge

The purpose of the study was to compare two sets of vocabulary test scores of elementary school students from the public and private schools in Korea. The two vocabulary tests compared were Vocabulary Size Test (Nation, 2001) and Vocabulary Grade Levels Test (Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, 2009). Both tests were intended to measure learners' knowledge of passive vocabulary with respect to vocabulary growth. A total of 586 students participated in this study and they were asked to complete two sets of vocabulary tests near the end of the spring semester 2011. The result showed that the two vocabulary tests indicate a high degree of correlation. Regarding the mean scores of the two tests, overall, private school students outperformed their counterparts in two vocabulary tests. In the meantime, students at higher grade levels consistently demonstrated higher mean scores compared to students at lower grade levels in both tests. Wider implications for vocabulary instruction and the effectiveness of the Vocabulary Grade Levels Test implemented in Busan, Korea are discussed.