Derivative Word Forms:
What Do Learners Know?
Schmitt, N. & Zimmerman, C.B., (2002).
TESOL Quarterly, 36(2), 145-169.
Presented by
Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman, Ph.D.
TESOL Program
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
CSUF
cbzimmerman@fullerton.edu
November 3, 2010
Background of Study
 Common Assumption
 Previous Research
 Resulting Research Design for this
Study
Examples of Words from
The Academic Word List (AWL )
Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly,
34, 213-238.
Authority
Assume
Traditional
Select
Philosophy
Access
Ethnic
Liberal
Minimum
Release
Survive
Ideology
Inevitably
Coherent
Persist
Research Design
Word Family Knowledge is studied in how it
relates to Overall Word Knowledge.
 Overall word knowledge is addressed with a
scale approach (Test of Academic Lexicon: TAL)
 Word Family Knowledge is addressed with a
productive derivative test (Later referred to as
Test of English Derivatives: TED)
Test of Academic Lexicon (TAL)
A
I don’t know
the word
1. Stimulate
2. Sloist
B
I have seen
the word
before but
am not sure
of the
meaning.
C
D
I understand
I know the
the word
word and can
when I see or use it in my
hear it in a own speaking
sentence but and writing
I don’t know [If you select
how to use it
this one,
in my own
please write
speaking or
a SENTENCE
writing.
which uses
the word and
shows its
meaning. ]
Test of English Derivatives (TED)
Example:
Precise
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
A doctor must work with ________.
A doctor ___________.
Medical care requires _____ work.
Doctors must work _____________.
Test of English Derivatives (TED)
Example:
Precise
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
A doctor must work with precision.
A doctor _____X______.
Medical care requires precise work.
Doctors must work precisely.
Derivative Forms Produced for
Words Rated at Each TAL Level
(Abridged form of Table 3 ; n=86)
A
B
C
D
50.6%
60.9%
55.8%
68.1%
57.5
73.8
46.3
53.7
42.9
48.0
ALL WORDS
ESL
35.9%
44.2%
NOUNS
ESL
23.5%
38.6%
VERBS
ESL
26.1%
54.0
ADJECTIVES
ESL
47.1
40.3
ADVERBS
ESL
47.1
43.8
Derivative Forms Produced for
Words Rated at Each TAL Level
A
B
C
D
ALL WORDS
ESL
35.9%
44.2%
50.6%
60.9%
MA-ELT
87.5
83.3
74.1
79.4
ESL & MA-ELT
36.8
44.8
53.0
65.5
-
-
-
91.2
Native
Speakers
Words for Which Participants Produced
Zero, One, Two, Three and Four Derivative Forms
ESL & MAELT
0
1
2
3
4
5.5
18.3
28.4
29.5
18.2
Conclusion
• So the jump from receptive to productive
knowledge is reflected in better mastery of
productive derivative forms in each of the 4
word classes.
But
• The assumption that learners automatically
pick up the various derivative forms is
probably incorrect.
Bottom Line
To Know a Word means
to know
a great deal about it.
Derivative knowledge
cannot be taken
for granted.