Publication: Word Frequency Level and Lexical Coverage in the Reading Comprehension Texts of the Malaysian University English Test
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2021
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Edition
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en
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2287-0024
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item.page.harrt.identifier.callno
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PASAA Journal
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61
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33
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59
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Word Frequency Level and Lexical Coverage in the Reading Comprehension Texts of the Malaysian University English Test
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Abstract
The central foundation of knowledge is through grasping what is being read. Therefore, it is significant to recognise the difficulty level of a reading text for better and comprehensive understanding. The present study is an attempt to identify the word frequency level and lexical coverage of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) reading texts which is deemed to be intricate for students. The anticipation of the Education Ministry of Malaysia is that students are capable and competent in comprehending academic texts which is required of them at the university. Nonetheless, the problem lies in students’ lack of vocabulary size and knowledge which hampers their understanding of the reading texts. Thus, utilising 18 MUET reading texts from three past year sittings enabled the identification of the texts difficulty employing the quantitative approach. The data was generated using the Web Vocabulary Profiler (VP-Compleat Lexical Tutor) to obtain the frequency levels and percentages. The findings revealed that mastery of a minimum 6,000-word family level is needed to reach the lexical coverage of 95% and more than 8,000-word level to reach the 98% line. In terms of the texts similarities and differences throughout the sittings, there were unnoticeable differences in the figures which indicates that the MUET texts demonstrated a consistency in its selection throughout all the three sittings. This study accomplishes an extensive thought towards the pedagogical implication and significant strategies for further intervention.