Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Learning:Which Is Better for Improving TOEIC Listening and Reading?

The present study attempts to investigate the relationship between EFL students’ breadth and depth of vocabulary learning and their performance on the TOEIC listening and reading. One hundred and thirty three Korean EFL university students at various proficiency levels participated in the study and were divided into two separate groups: breadth and depth groups. The students in the breadth group were trained to increase the size of their vocabulary, whereas those in the depth group to develop a deeper knowledge of words. They kept notes of the new words they studied and took a vocabulary quiz every week. They also took the pre- and post-vocabulary tests along with the pre- and post-TOEIC tests. The results obtained from the analysis of the data revealed that breadth of vocabulary learning had a more positive effect on the students’ listening performance, while depth of vocabulary learning a more positive effect on reading achievement. In particular, the higher level students who studied vocabulary in depth showed the greatest improvement in reading. These findings imply that both breadth and depth of vocabulary learning are important to improve students' TOEIC listening and reading ability, but that the latter is more important to achieve a greater extent of improvement at more advanced levels. Implications and suggestions are further discussed.