Researches in lexical acquisition through reading

Abstract

Word acquisition through reading is a research topic neglected in our country, although it is studied since the 80s in other countries. In this paper, we aim to show its relevance and what have already been researched about it. We start with the quote “Vocabulary serves as the bridge between the word-level processes of phonics and the cognitive processes of comprehension.” (KAMIL; HIEBERT, 2005, p. 4), that helps us to see in a better way the relation between lexical knowledge and reading proficiency development. Thinking about this relation can also bring some interesting changes on reading classroom work. Initially, context is addressed, what is its role in lexical acquisition and what kind of information it can provide; we also identify context related factors that can interfere in the lexical acquisition process. Then, we describe some relevant research focusing mother and second language lexical acquisition, in different periods, from 1984 to 2005. This description seeks to review the results obtained by these investigations and the used methodology. Finally, we analyze predominant characteristics in described experiments and questions that still need to be investigated in lexical acquisition through reading.