An exploratory study of predictors of vocabulary knowledge of Vietnames preschool-age children in a city

Predictors of vocabulary knowledge in Vietnamese preschoolers

Author(s)

  • Giang T. H. Hoang Ghent University, Hue University
  • Kristof Baten Ghent University
  • Ludovic de Cuypere Ghent University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  • Thang T. Hoang Hue University
  • Miriam Taverniers Ghent University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51751/dujal9538

Keywords:

vocabulary knowledge, multiple factors, Vietnamese children

Abstract

This study explores the effects of child-external and child-internal factors on vocabulary skills of Vietnamese pre-schoolers. Thirty-nine Vietnamese children (54-77 months) were tested on vocabulary and cognition skills. Their parents completed a questionnaire on background information. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to explore the contribution of multiple factors to the variability in vocabulary skills. Results showed that the effects of multiple factors varied across modality and domain. Productive vocabulary was individually sensitive to more factors than receptive vocabulary; and phonologically-based vocabulary was more sensitive than semantically-based vocabulary. The strongest predictor of receptive vocabulary, productive vocabulary, semantically-based vocabulary and phonologically-based vocabulary was child intelligence, child pre-schooling length, household income and child age, respectively. The findings seem to support the multidimensional views of language with evidence that different domains or modalities of vocabulary skills respond to the effects of multiple factors differently; and components of verbal ability should be examined separately.

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Author Biographies

  • Giang T. H. Hoang, Ghent University, Hue University

    Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.

    Lecturer at the Faculty of Literature and Linguistics, Hue University of Sciences, Hue University

  • Kristof Baten, Ghent University

    Assistant Professor, Administrative and Technical Staff at the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University

  • Ludovic de Cuypere, Ghent University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Assistant Professor, Administrative and Technical Staff at the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.

    Faculty Staff and Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre for Linguistics Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

  • Thang T. Hoang, Hue University

    Associate Professor at the Faculty of Literature and Linguistics, University of Sciences, Hue University.

  • Miriam Taverniers, Ghent University

    Professor and Tenured Academic Staff at the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.

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21-06-2021

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How to Cite

Hoang, G. T. H., Baten, K., de Cuypere, L., Hoang, T. T., & Taverniers, M. (2021). An exploratory study of predictors of vocabulary knowledge of Vietnames preschool-age children in a city: Predictors of vocabulary knowledge in Vietnamese preschoolers. Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10. https://doi.org/10.51751/dujal9538