Methods for Targeting Vocabulary Development in Second Language Learners: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to (a) identify which interventions have been used over the last decade for targeting vocabulary development in second language learners where the first language is typically Spanish, (b) to evaluate the methodological rigor in which those interventions were investigated, and (c) determine the clinical relevance of the outcome measurements used to judge if the intervention(s) were efficacious. This was achieved by preforming a systematic review both identifying and describing techniques for enhancing vocabulary growth in second language learners. Five studies were included in the systematic review and fell within a ten-year range. It was found that the most effective strategies used a combination of techniques and relied heavily on reading which the least effective did not incorporate any sort of reading strategy.