USING SHORT AUTHENTIC TEXTS TO IMPROVE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION: A CASE STUDY OF SECOND GRADE STUDENTS AT SCHOOL NO. 5 IN TASHKENT CITY
Abstract
This case study explores how reading short, authentic texts influences vocabulary development among second-grade students at School No. 5 in Tashkent City. The study involved 12 students who had recently achieved fluent reading skills. It aims to investigate whether consistent exposure to real-world, context-rich reading materials can effectively help young learners broaden their vocabulary. The findings suggest that incorporating authentic texts into the reading curriculum significantly promotes vocabulary expansion and improves language retention, providing valuable insights into effective teaching strategies for early language education.
Keywords
Authentic materials, vocabulary acquisition, early grade learners, primary education, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), reading motivation, case study, tashkent schools, contextual learning, young learners.How to Cite
References
Chang, S. (2011). A contrastive study of Grammar Translation Method and Communicative Approach in teaching English Grammar. English Language Teaching, 4(2), 13. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v4n2p13
Ciornei, S. I., & Dina, T. A. (2015). Authentic texts in teaching English. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 180, 274–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.116
Ebe, A. E. (2010). Culturally relevant texts and reading assessment for English language learners. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 50(3), 5.
Gass, S. (1999). DISCUSSION. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 21(2), 319–333. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0272263199002090
Gasser, L., Dammert, Y., & Murphy, P. K. (2022). How Do Children Socially Learn from Narrative Fiction: Getting the Lesson, Simulating Social Worlds, or Dialogic Inquiry? Educational Psychology Review, 34(3), 1445–1475. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09667-4
Gilmore, A. (2007). Authentic materials and authenticity in foreign language learning. Language Teaching, 40(2), 97–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444807004144
Honeyfield, J. (1977). Word frequency and the importance of context in vocabulary learning. RELC Journal, 8(2), 35–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368827700800202
Krashen, S. (1989). We acquire vocabulary and spelling by reading: additional evidence for the input hypothesis. Modern Language Journal, 73(4), 440. https://doi.org/10.2307/326879
McGrail, E., McGrail, J. P., & Rieger, A. (2016). Learning Language and Vocabulary in Dialogue with the Real Audience: Exploring Young Writers’ Authentic Writing and Language Learning Experiences. In Literacy research, practice and evaluation (pp. 117–135). https://doi.org/10.1108/s2048-045820160000007008
Nieto, C., & Booth, M. Z. (2009). Cultural competence. Journal of Studies in International Education, 14(4), 406–425. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315309337929
Rings, L. (1986). Authentic language and authentic conversational texts. Foreign Language Annals, 19(3), 203–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.1986.tb02835.x
Tomlinson, B. (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching. Language teaching, 45(2), 143-179.
Wasik, B. A., Hindman, A. H., & Snell, E. K. (2016). Book reading and vocabulary development: A systematic review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 37, 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2016.04.003
Wong, W., & Van Patten, B. (2003). The Evidence is IN: Drills are OUT. Foreign Language Annals, 36(3), 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2003.tb02123.x
Yusupalieva, S. (2024). Developing Students Communicative Competence using Authentic Materials with Information Technologies. International Journal of Industrial Engineering Technology & Operations Management, 2(2), 59–62. https://doi.org/10.62157/ijietom.v2i2.62.
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Marjona Ilkhomovna Tursunaliyeva
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
