The influence of reading on the vocabulary in mother tongue and foreign language

Abstract

The aim of this article is to observe the influence of reading frequency on the vocabulary in Spanish and in a foreign language (English and French). The sample comprises 171 students of the Master’s Degree in Teaching Training at the University of Málaga. The data has been gathered through a test of lexical availability and a test to identify technical terms (in English, Spanish and French), as well as through a sociological questionnaire. The results confirm the initial hypothesis that reading reinforces the lexical competence and especially the passive vocabulary. Reading takes on a main role in foreign language, mostly in English. It favours not only an increase of updated words but also a better identification of technical words. Nevertheless, reading in the mother tongue has an influence only on the passive vocabulary. The academic level attained by informants standardises the lexical competence, which is partially improved by reading frequency.