VIDBE-Q Volume 68 Issue 1
an overall impact on comprehension (Vervloed et al., 2014). Because vocabulary is
related to the ability to recognize words and synthesize information while reading,
when students have limited vocabulary or a lack of broad conceptual knowledge,
they may not recognize a word when decoding it, and they may not have
background knowledge upon which to build comprehension (Cabell & Hwang,
2020).
English Learners
Knowing about the interaction between language and literacy helps teachers
understand the impact of learning English on reading. While English speakers may
have developed language skills that precedes and supports reading development,
English learners may be applying their developing vocabulary to word recognition
tasks, and they may have less familiarity with complex grammatical structures
found in text (Gottardo & Mueller, 2009). Cho et al. (2019), documents that
language skills had more of an effect on reading comprehension than word
recognition skills for English learners. The cognitive load of applying word
recognition skills while also learning the English language may be more
challenging for an English learner than for a student who has an existing language
foundation from which to draw, during reading tasks (Nowbakht, 2019). Another
consideration for English learners in academic settings is the expansion of
vocabulary from day-to-day conversation into content specific vocabulary and
