Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This instrument for measuring passive vocabulary has its theoretical roots in the "use" theory of meaning: the understanding of an expression is manifested in the speaker's ability to use it in an identifiable mode of utterance. The Measure takes account of the notions conveyed by such phrases as "true semantic grasp," "extralinguistic context" and "motivated vocabulary." After describing the Measure's simple structure in outline, the paper examines its application in a practical research context where its rigour and applied value are increased by the interpolation of semantic field theory into the construction of items. An appraisal and statistical evaluation of the Measure prompts the conclusion that it is a very suitable instrument for comparing semantic variations in passive vocabulary.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adlam, D.S. ( 1977). Code in Context (London).

Brah, A. , Fuller, M. , Loudon, D. and Miles, R. ( 1977). Experimenter effects and the ethnic cueing phenomenon . Working Papers on Ethnic Relations ( University of Bristol), 3, 1-31.

Corson, D.J. ( 1981). Social class, the semantic barrier and access to curricular knowledge. PhD. thesis, University of London .

Corson, D.J. ( 1982a). The Graeco-Latin (G-L) Instrument: A new measure of semantic complexity in oral and written English. Language and Speech, 25, 1-10.

Corson, D.J. ( 1982b). The priority of words in meaning. Working Papers in Language and Linguistics (Tasmanian College of Advanced Education), 13, 8-27.

Corson, D.J. ( 1983). Social dialect, the semantic barrier and access to curricular knowledge. Language in Society, 12, 213-222.

Corson, D.J. (forthcoming). The Lexical Bar (Oxford).

Chomsky, N. ( 1979). Language and Responsibility (Sussex).

Crystal, D. ( 1976). Child Language Learning and Linguistics: An Overview for Teaching and Therapeutic Professions (London).

10.

Edwards, A.D. ( 1976). Speech codes and speech variants - social class and task differences in children's speech. Journal of Child Language , 3, 247-265.

11.

Hirst, P.H. ( 1974). Knowledge and the Curriculum: A Collection of Philosophical Papers (London).

12.

Jakubowicz, A. and Wolf, E. ( 1980). Immigrant Parents and Port Kembla Schools ( Centre for Multicultural Studies, University of Wollongong).

13.

La Brant, L.L. ( 1933). A study of certain language developments of children in grades four to twelve, inclusive. Genetic Psychology Monographs , XIV, 5, 387-395.

14.

Leech, G.N. ( 1974). Semantics (London).

15.

Loban, W. ( 1963). The Language of Elementary School Children. National Council for the Teaching of English Research Report No. 1.

16.

Lyons, J. ( 1977). Semantics (Cambridge).

17.

Platts, M. ( 1979). Ways of Meaning: An Introduction to a Philosophy of Language (London).

18.

Vassilyev, L.M. ( 1974). The theory of semantic fields: A survey. Linguistics, 137, 79-93.

The Corson Measure of Passive Vocabulary

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References