Modeling the Role of Second Language Proficiency and Topic Familiarity in Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition Through Reading

The study examines the impact of topic familiarity, second language (L2) reading proficiency, and L2 passage sight vocabulary on incidental vocabulary acquisition. Independent variables include (a) a topic familiarity questionnaire, (b) the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Spanish Battery (Karlsen & Gardner, 1990), and (c) a passage sight vocabulary test. A repeated‐measures design was used with a cross‐sectional sample. Participants read narratives (2 more and 2 less familiar) containing nonsense words. Two and 28 days after reading, 2 gain measures were administered: (a) translation production and (b) translation recognition. Analyses reveal robust effects of reading proficiency, differential effects of topic familiarity, and isolated effects of passage sight vocabulary. The discussion concerns the impact of these factors and plausibility of interactive compensatory processing.