How Do EFL University Learners Use Vocabulary Knowledge in Extensive Reading Classes?

The aim of the present study was to investigate how EFL university learners perform in extensive reading (ER) classes in regards to both receptive and productive use of vocabulary knowledge. In the EFL context of this study, Korean university students participated in in-class ER classes as a semester-long reading course. For the purpose of the study, the vocabulary size test (VST) including 140 items was conducted at the end of the semester, and book summary writing as a course assignment was done by each student. Results indicated that the more students read, the greater the vocabulary size would be while there were no relations between amount of reading and acquisition of difficult words. Students’ writing products showed how appropriately the students in ER classes used prepositions by matching various words although they lacked productive use of contents words. The outcomes of this study suggest how an ER approach positively affects EFL learners on developing vocabulary knowledge in both receptive and productive ways of learning. (164 words)