期刊名称：The Reading Matrix: an international online journal
印刷版ISSN：1533-242X
出版年度：2008
卷号：8
期号：01
出版社：Reading Matrix, Inc.
摘要：This paper reports a study in which Iranian EFL female students' think aloud protocols were
analyzed to find out what knowledge sources informed them as they tried to make lexical
inference when reading an English text. The study also intended to find out if students' level
of their L2 proficiency would affect the pattern of their use of the knowledge sources and if
there is a relationship between students' lexical inference ability and their L2 reading
performance. Five elementary, five intermediate and five advanced female students were
asked to think aloud as they read a text, specifying the knowledge sources they used to guess
the meaning of unknown words. They also took a multiple-choice reading test. Results
revealed that elementary students used contextual, intralingual and interlingual clues;
intermediate students used contextual and advanced students used contextual and intralingual
clues in making lexical inference. Though elementary students made the highest number of
lexical inference, the highest correct lexical inferencing belonged to advanced students.
Overall lexical inference did not show any relationship with the students' reading
performance. This study can inspire teachers, textbook writers, and students to attend more to
different knowledge sources and lexical inference.
