Learning Vocabulary

Abstract

The inquiry in to a morality of conducting researchers on learning vocabulary has triggered an intense controversy in the realm of second language learning. Learning vocabulary is an essential part of language learning, the supporters of this idea subscribe to this believe that second language reading can promote L2 vocabulary acquisition , Sometimes , many unknown terms are presented in reading texts and second language learners fail to notice the presence of unfamiliar words . Even when L2 readers have access dictionary , they do not scrutinize all unknown vocabularies , Especially when they read long texts. Numerous studies have attempt to confirmed that the provision of textual glosses can increase incidental vocabulary learning

Therefore, when learners read a text they might be confront with an unknown word and they may choose the wrong meaning from dictionary , or have plenty guesses , it shows that , in a language words can mean more than one thing. Owing to this fact that there are so many available meanings for one term , gloss is a crucial thing which can help the learner to determine which of them is being referred to, thus, it is a way of teaching vocabulary in progressing reading comprehension , thus, it carries at least three benefits for language learners, first, it leads a richer grasp of the contextual meaning, second, use the concurrency of the two activities, as an illustration, reading / listening and vocabulary learning, and the third benefit is provided a more learner- centered learning process. According to Lomicka (1998), the concept of glossing "dates back to the Middle Ages when students striving with a foreign text , usually Latin , produced them as they moved along during the reading process"(p.42). With respect to Nation's claim ( 2002 , pp.174-175 )that defines gloss as "a brief definition or synonym of unknown words provided in text in L1 or L2 ". A number of researchers such as these advocacies Paribakht and Wesche (1999), Parry (1997) , and Watanabe (1997), glossing is necessary since problems arose form extensive reading. Glosses are considered as valuable tools which facilitate reading in a foreign language (Watanabe, 1997). Ko ,(2005) Nation ,(2002), hold this view point that using the gloss is easier and minimizes the interruption of reading flow compared to using dictionary that is