Other Researchers Research Benefits
10
Words in English can be classified into a number of parts of speech. The number of parts of speech into which words are classified may differ from one
another. However, the majority of experts make clear categorization consisting of eight parts of speech, i.e. nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions,
conjuctions, and interjections. Knowing which parts of speech a word belongs to may help to understand how the word functions in a sentence. Since some words can be
classified into several parts of speech, most of the time it is important to look at how a word functions in a sentence before determining which part of speech it belongs to.
Related to the level of difficulty of each part of speech, Rodgers as cited in Read, 2000, p. 40 explains that nouns and adjectives are the easiest ones to learn,
while verbs and adverbs are the most difficult ones. His statement is supported by the findings of Ellis and Beaton as cited in Read, 2000, p. 40 which elaborate the reason
why nouns are the easiest one. They explain that it is because most learners are able to quickly form mental images of nouns and relate them to the target words.
b. Vocabulary Knowledge Nation 2000, p. 31 lists a description of knowing a word into having various
receptive and productive knowledge of a word. Receptive knowledge involves the ability of understanding the words through reading or listening activities, while
productive knowledge involves the ability of using and spelling the words meaningfully and correctly in writing or speaking activities. The list provided by
Nation 2000, p. 27 elaborates how the questions of learners possession of the
11
receptive and productive knowledge on words form, meaning, and use should be addressed.
Form spoken
R What does the word sound like?
P How is the word pronounced?
written R
What does the word look like? P
How is the word written and spelled? word parts
R What parts are recognizable in this word?
P What word parts are needed to express this
meaning? Meaning
form and meaning R
What meaning does this word form signal? P
What word form can be used to express this meaning?
concept and R
What is included in the concept? referents
P What items can the concept refer to?
associations R
What other words does this make us think of? P
What other words could we use instead of this one? Use
grammatical R
In what patterns does the word occur? functions
P In what patterns must we use this word?
collocations R
What words or types of words occur with this one? P
What words or types of words must we use with this one?
constraints R
Where, when, and how often would we expect on use to meet this word?
register, P
Where, when, and how often can we use frequency…
this word? R = receptive knowledge
P = productive knowledge Nation 2000, p. 27
In regard to this, Schmitt n.d. states that “complete mastery of all of the above kinds of word knowledge obviously cannot be achieved simultaneously” as