Alfi Hulwatun Nasichah, Naillis Nabila Nursandy

THE IMPACT OF VOCABULARY BREADTH AND DEPTH ON STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF DIFFICULTY IN IELTS READING: A STUDY ON TEST ANXIETY AND COPING MECHANISMS

Introduction

The impact of vocabulary breadth and depth on students' perception of difficulty in ielts reading: a study on test anxiety and coping mechanisms. This study links vocabulary breadth & depth to IELTS Reading difficulty, test anxiety, & coping in EFL learners. Depth is crucial for comprehension & reducing test anxiety.

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between vocabulary breadth and depth and students’ perceived difficulty in the IELTS Reading Test, as well as how these perceptions relate to test anxiety and coping mechanisms. Vocabulary breadth refers to the number of words known, while depth reflects how well each word is understood, including its synonyms, collocations, and contextual meanings. Thirty EFL learners from an English learning community in Kediri, Indonesia, participated in this quantitative descriptive study. Data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire distributed via Google Form, which explored students’ vocabulary knowledge, reading strategies, anxiety levels, and perceptions of reading difficulty. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and interpretive analysis to capture both numerical trends and underlying perceptions. The results indicate that while most participants demonstrated adequate vocabulary breadth, many still struggled with vocabulary depth particularly in recognizing paraphrases, collocations, and polysemous words. These lexical gaps were strongly linked to their perceived difficulty with synonym and paraphrase-based questions in the IELTS Reading section. Additionally, the majority of students reported experiencing anxiety when encountering many unfamiliar words, often relying on coping strategies such as contextual guessing or skipping sentences to maintain reading flow. However, panic triggered by lexical unfamiliarity remained a significant barrier to comprehension. Overall, the findings highlight that vocabulary depth, rather than breadth alone, plays a more critical role in reading comprehension and perceived difficulty. The study suggests integrating explicit depth-oriented vocabulary instruction with anxiety-reduction strategies to enhance students’ reading performance and test confidence

Review

This study effectively tackles a critical aspect of second language learning and assessment: the interplay between vocabulary knowledge, perceived difficulty, test anxiety, and coping mechanisms in the context of the IELTS Reading Test. By distinguishing between vocabulary breadth and depth, the research provides valuable insights into the specific lexical challenges faced by EFL learners. The finding that vocabulary depth, particularly in areas like paraphrasing, collocations, and polysemy, is more strongly linked to perceived reading difficulty and anxiety than breadth alone, is a significant contribution. The study also sheds light on common coping strategies adopted by students and highlights the pervasive issue of panic triggered by lexical unfamiliarity, offering practical implications for both vocabulary instruction and test preparation strategies aimed at anxiety reduction. Despite its interesting premise and relevant findings, the study exhibits several methodological limitations that temper the generalizability and robustness of its conclusions. The most prominent concern is the small sample size of only 30 EFL learners, which is insufficient for a quantitative descriptive study aiming to provide statistically meaningful insights applicable beyond the immediate participant group. Furthermore, the reliance solely on a Likert-scale questionnaire administered via Google Form to assess complex constructs such as vocabulary knowledge (breadth and depth), reading strategies, anxiety levels, and perceived difficulty raises questions about the validity and depth of data captured. While "descriptive statistics and interpretive analysis" are mentioned, the abstract does not clarify how vocabulary depth was specifically operationalized and measured through a questionnaire, nor the exact nature of the "interpretive analysis" for quantitative data. A lack of objective measures for vocabulary and reading comprehension, alongside the self-reported nature of the data, potentially introduces subjectivity and bias. Overall, this study makes a pertinent contribution by underscoring the nuanced role of vocabulary depth in high-stakes reading tests and its intricate connection to test-takers' psychological states. The clear recommendation for integrating depth-oriented vocabulary instruction with anxiety-reduction strategies is a practical takeaway for educators and curriculum designers. To enhance the credibility and impact of future research, it is strongly recommended that studies in this area employ larger and more diverse samples to improve generalizability. Incorporating objective vocabulary assessments (e.g., validated tests) and actual reading comprehension scores, rather than solely relying on self-report, would provide more robust data. Furthermore, a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data with qualitative elements like interviews or think-aloud protocols, could offer richer insights into the intricate relationship between lexical processing, anxiety, and coping mechanisms. This would allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the barriers to comprehension and confidence in IELTS Reading.

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