Teaching the use of context to infer meaning: a longitudinal survey of L1 and L2 vocabulary research

Abstract

This article examines research in the area of instruction in the use of context to infer the meanings of unknown words. This issue is addressed initially from a first language perspective, in which approaches to teaching the use of context fall into three broad categories: general strategy instruction, context clue instruction, and the use of cloze exercises to increase awareness of context. Studies in second language vocabulary acquisition and the instruction of context are then examined, and the conclusion is drawn that, while the existing research demonstrates that students benefit from having their attention drawn to the use of context, the question of how, if at all, they should be taught to deal with context is still unanswered. The article concludes with suggestions for the direction and aims of future research in this area.