CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
INTRODUCTION
Vocabulary knowledge is a central component of reading comprehension, especially for
learners who study English as a second language. For Senior High School students,
particularly those in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand, the ability to
understand and use a wide range of vocabulary is crucial for academic performance.
Reading English exposes students to new words, sentence structures, and contextual
meanings that contribute to vocabulary development (Nation 2001, 6). As Nation (2001, 6)
explains, vocabulary is one of the most critical predictors of reading success, and students
must know most of the words in a text to comprehend it effectively.
Reading English materials also helps students encounter unfamiliar vocabulary in
meaningful contexts, allowing them to infer meanings even without explicit instruction.
Krashen (2004, 45) argues that reading is the primary source of language acquisition. This
highlights the importance of regular and varied reading exposure for vocabulary
development.
FOREIGN STUDIES
Nation (2001, 6) argues that vocabulary knowledge is essential for understanding written
text, and learners need knowledge of at least 95% of the words in a passage to comprehend
it adequately. This suggests that frequent reading is necessary for gradual vocabulary
expansion because it provides repeated exposure to words.
Krashen (2004, 45) states that vocabulary is acquired more effectively through reading than
through direct instruction or memorization. According to his Input Hypothesis, learners
acquire new words naturally when they read texts slightly above their current ability level,
known as “i + 1.”
Cobb (2007, 112) reports that extensive reading improves vocabulary retention because
learners encounter words repeatedly in contextual form. His study found that learners who
engaged in wide reading had higher long-term vocabulary recall compared to those who
used traditional drills.
Zimmerman (2009, 67) states that incidental vocabulary learning—learning vocabulary
unintentionally through reading—contributes more significantly to vocabulary
development than intentional methods such as memorization.
Sukirlan (2014, 45) found that students who participated in extensive reading programs
demonstrated significant improvement in vocabulary tests after eight weeks. His findings
support the idea that reading volume directly correlates with vocabulary growth, especially
in EFL contexts.
Webb and Chang (2015, 30) examined Taiwanese students using graded readers and found
that learners acquired an average of 20 to 40 new words per book.
Nguyen (2017, 12) found that reading English online articles led to improvement in
vocabulary recognition and contextual usage.
Elgort and Warren (2018, 88) report that exposure to different types of reading materials—
fiction, nonfiction, academic texts—allows learners to encounter vocabulary in various
contexts.
Teng (2020, 15) found a strong correlation (r = .82) between vocabulary knowledge and
reading performance.
LOCAL STUDIES (PHILIPPINES)
Delfin (2017, 5) investigated vocabulary development among Grade 10 Filipino students
and found that reading English short stories improved vocabulary comprehension more
effectively than rote memorization.
Marcelo (2019, 22) examined reading habits among Senior High School students and found
that those who frequently read English online articles or stories achieved higher vocabulary
scores.
Rivera and Santos (2020, 11) studied Grade 11 students from a public school in Quezon City
and found a significant association between reading engagement and vocabulary
proficiency.
Valdez (2021, 14) discovered that students with strong English reading habits showed
better vocabulary use in both spoken and written tasks.
REFERENCE LIST
Nation, I. S. P. 2001. Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Krashen, Stephen. 2004. The Power of Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Cobb, Tom. 2007. “Extensive Reading and Vocabulary Acquisition.” Reading in a Foreign
Language 19 (2): 112.
Zimmerman, Cheryl. 2009. Word Knowledge: Vocabulary Instruction and Assessment.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sukirlan. 2014. “The Effect of Extensive Reading on Vocabulary.” Indonesian Journal of
Applied Linguistics 4 (2): 45.
Webb, Stuart, and Anna Chang. 2015. “Second Language Vocabulary Growth.” Language
Teaching Research 19 (3): 30.
Nguyen, Thi Hong. 2017. “Digital Reading and Vocabulary.” Asian EFL Journal 24 (1): 12.
Elgort, Irina, and Paul Warren. 2018. “Incidental Vocabulary Learning.” Studies in Second
Language Acquisition 40 (4): 88.
Teng, Feng. 2020. “Vocabulary and Reading Correlation.” Journal of Asia TEFL 17 (3): 15.
Delfin. 2017. “Vocabulary Development through Reading.” Philippine ESL Journal 5.
Marcelo. 2019. “Reading Habits and Vocabulary Performance.” Philippine Journal of
Education 22.
Rivera, and Santos. 2020. “Reading Engagement in Public Schools.” Journal of Philippine
Literacy Studies 11.
Valdez. 2021. “Reading Exposure and Vocabulary Use.” Mindanao Education Research
Journal 14.