Etymology instruction and vocabulary learning

Abstract

The present research delves to analyze the influence of Etymology instruction to enhance the vocabulary learning of sixth-semester University students in Ecuador. Twenty-six young adults were selected to be the experimental group who received the instruction. There was not a control group. Therefore, this was a pre-experimental study. A test was applied to assess their receptive vocabulary knowledge before and after the treatment. Treatment consisted of 5 one-hour sessions about key concepts of Etymology. Instruction included cognates, borrowings, word-formation processes, tracing the diachronic study of words, and basic Greek and Latin roots. Also, students learned how to use etymological dictionaries. Students' vocabulary learning only could be demonstrated by comparing their performance before and after the treatment. Therefore, the difference between their performance in both tests revealed an improvement of 1,46 points on their score average. It signified their progress regarding receptive vocabulary. A survey was applied to know students' perceptions towards the instruction. The majority of the participants agreed that Etymology permitted them to improve their receptive vocabulary size. Finally, statistical procedures such as the Wilcoxon test revealed a positive influence of Etymology instruction in students’ receptive vocabulary learning