Lexical Inferencing in Listening: Patterns of Knowledge Source Use across L2 Listening Proficiency Levels

Abstract

Lexical inferencing as an efficient strategy to deal with unfamiliar words has attracted much attention in the comprehension literature. While literature abounds with studies focusing on the nature of lexical inferencing in reading, few studies have delved into the processes involved, the knowledge sources used and the factors influencing lexical inferencing in listening. This study sought to investigate the role of listening proficiency in lexical inferencing success and identify knowledge source patterns used by Iranian EFL learners for making inferences. To this end, a total of fifty-six Iranian EFL learners were assigned into three levels of listening proficiency and were required to infer the meanings of unknown words in listening excerpts. In the qualitative phase and to identify the patterns of knowledge source use, data were collected from 9 participants in individual interview sessions. Verbal reporting method was used where the subjects were asked to report the meanings of the unknown words in think-aloud sessions. The findings revealed the profound impact of listening proficiency on lexical inferencing. In-depth analysis of the protocols demonstrated the contribution of listening proficiency to making correct guesses and using more combinations of knowledge sources.