Recognition Memory of Vocabulary (RMV) and Reading Comprehension for EFL Learners in A Pesantren-Based Junior Secondary School
Keywords:
EFL, reading comprehension, recognition memory of vocabulary, RMV
Abstract
This research investigates the correlation between recognition memory of vocabulary (RMV) and reading comprehension among eighth-grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at MTs Favorit Darut Taqwa Dlanggu, Indonesia. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design combining quantitative correlational analysis and qualitative descriptive inquiry, the study engaged 28 participants selected through purposive sampling based on their educational level and prior learning experiences. Data collection was executed through two distinct instruments: a vocabulary recognition memory assessment comprising multiple-choice questions and a reading comprehension evaluation. The findings indicated a statistically significant and exceptionally strong positive correlation between vocabulary recognition memory and reading comprehension (r = 0.976, p < 0.01), thereby illustrating a robust connection between learners’ capacity to recognize previously acquired vocabulary and their performance in comprehension tasks. Nonetheless, the results also imply that vocabulary recognition in isolation does not comprehensively account for reading comprehension, as various reading strategies, including skimming, scanning, and inference-making, were also integral to the students’ comprehension processes. This study underscores the pedagogical significance of amalgamating contextualized vocabulary instruction with explicit training in reading strategies and differentiated instructional methods. The implications of these findings offer valuable pedagogical insights aimed at enhancing English literacy instruction within EFL environments, particularly in Pesantren-based educational institutions.
References
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Gagl, B., Sassenhagen, J., Haan, S., Gregorova, K., Richlan, F., & Fiebach, C. J. (2020). An orthographic prediction error as the basis for efficient visual word recognition. NeuroImage, 214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116727
He, Y., & Deocampo, J. A. (2023). Receptive vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension: Evidence from second language learners. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(4), 678–692.
Holmes, V. M. (2009). Bottom-up processing and reading comprehension in experienced adult readers. Journal of Research in Reading, 32(3), 309–326. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2009.01396.x
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Liu, D., (2024). The Effect of Segmentation on Cognitive Load, Vocabulary Learning, Retention, and Reading Comprehension in a Multimedia Learning Environment. BMC Phychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01489-5
MacKay, D. G., Abrams, L., & Pedroza, M. J. (2022). Lexical quality and automatic word recognition in reading comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 57(3), 421–439.
MacKay, E. J., Conrad, N., & Deacon, S. H. (2022). How Does Lexical Access Fit into Models of Word Reading? Scientific Studies of Reading, 26(4), 327–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2021.1993230
Mecklinger, A., & Bader, R. (2020). From fluency to recognition decisions: A broader view of familiarity-based remembering. Neuropsychologia, 146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107527
Mohsen, M. A., & Almudawis, S. (2021). Second Language Vocabulary Gains from Listening Versus Reading Comprehension Input: A Comparative Study. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 50(3), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-020-09690-y
Muthuchamy, I. (2019). Acquiring Vocabulary through a Context-Based Approach. Shanlax International Journal of English, 7(2), 14–17. https://doi.org/10.34293/english.v7i2.325
Niculescu & Dragomir. (2020). Different approaches to Developing Writing Skills. Sciendo: Land Forces Academy Review. Vol. XXV, No 3(99). https://doi.org/ 10.2478/raft-2020-0024
Putri, L., Muhammad Rizki Rezani, & Dina Hermina. (2025). Correlational Research Design. Jurnal Riset Multidisiplin Edukasi, 2(6), 306–317. https://doi.org/10.71282/jurmie.v2i6.456
Qizi, M. Z. F. (2024). Developing Reading Competence in a Foreign Language: Strategies, Definitions, and Modern Perspectives. International Journal of Pedagogics, 4(11), 278–283. https://doi.org/10.37547/ijp/volume04issue11-54
Rahman, A. N. I., & Ekkayokkaya, M. (2024). Investigating the Way Contextual Teaching and Learning Approach Improves Senior High School Students’ Writing Skill in Indonesia. WorldCALL2023: Official Conference Proceedings, 149–155. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-1182.2024.17
Reynolds, B. L. (2022). Situated incidental vocabulary acquisition: The effects of in-class and out-of-class novel reading. Applied Linguistics Review, 13(5), 705–713. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2019-0059
Sarena, L. A., Anayati, W., & Suhendi, A. (2023). The Correlation Between Students’ Vocabulary and Their Descriptive Reading Comprehension. Journal of Language, 5(2), 392–400. https://doi.org/10.30743/jol.v5i2.7903
Sasidhar, K., & Aruna, G. (2024). Differentiated instruction and assessment for English language learners from theory to practice. Pedagogical Revelations and Emerging Trends, 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003587538-12
Selvathurai, S., & Hanim Ismail, H. (2024). Second Language Learners’ Difficulties in Reading Comprehension: A Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarped/v13-i4/23972
Shin, H. W. (2024). Instructional task modality and teacher effects on L2 vocabulary learning: Evidence from adolescent learners. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688241253617
Stoeckel, T., Ishii, T., Kim, Y. A., Ha, H. T., Ho, N. T. P., & McLean, S. (2023). A comparison of contextualized and non-contextualized meaning-recall vocabulary test formats. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2023.100075
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Taky-eddine, M., & Madaoui, M. (2024). Revisiting the construction–integration model in second language reading comprehension. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 53(1), 115–132.
Taky-eddine, O., & Madaoui, R. (2024). How Do Readers Approach Traditional Texts and Hypertexts? A Review on Reading Comprehension Models. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 11(5). https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsshi/v11i05.03
Teng, F. (2019). The effects of context and word exposure frequency on incidental vocabulary acquisition and retention through reading. Language Learning Journal, 47(2), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2016.1244217
Teng, F. (2023). Vocabulary knowledge, reading strategies, and second language reading comprehension: A multidimensional perspective. Language Teaching Research, 27(5), 1124–1143.
Ulum, B., Qosim, N., & Singh, S. (2024). The Current Research Trend of Islamic Education in Indonesia Pesantren and Its Properties. Khulasah?: Islamic Studies Journal, 6(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.55656/kisj.v6i1.141
van den Broek, G. S. E., Wesseling, E., Huijssen, L., Lettink, M., & van Gog, T. (2022). Vocabulary Learning During Reading: Benefits of Contextual Inferences Versus Retrieval Opportunities. Cognitive Science, 46(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.13135
Vettori, G., Casado Ledesma, L., Tesone, S., & Tarchi, C. (2024). Key language, cognitive and higher-order skills for L2 reading comprehension of expository texts in English as foreign language students: a systematic review. Reading and Writing, 37(9), 2481–2519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-023-10479-3
Whitaker, A. (2024). Teaching Vocabulary in Meaningful and Memorable Ways: Explicit Instruction in the English Classroom. Georgia Journal of Literacy, 46(2), 50–64. https://doi.org/10.56887/galiteracy.166
Yang, H. (2022). Facilitating Vocabulary Learning by “3R”-- Recycling, Repetition and Retrieve. Learning & Education, 10(8), 175. https://doi.org/10.18282/l-e.v10i8.3111
Yap, M. J., Lim, G. Y., & Pexman, P. M. (2015). Semantic richness effects in lexical decision: The role of feedback. Memory and Cognition, 43(8), 1148–1167. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-015-0536-0
Yildiz, M., & Çetinkaya, E. (2017). The Relationship between Good Readers’ Attention, Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(3), 366–371. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2017.050309
Zhang, D., & Zhang, L. J. (2022). Vocabulary knowledge and lexical inferencing in second language reading comprehension. TESOL Quarterly, 56(2), 589–612.
Agustin, L., Wisudaningsih, E. T. & Fatmawati, R. (2023). Exploring How Skimming and Scanning Fosters EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension at an English Club Senior High School in Indonesia. Tamaddun LIFE: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra dan Budaya, Vol. 22 No. 1: June. https://doi.org/10.33096/tamaddun.v22i1.309
Asman, A., Muliani, M., & Amin, A. (2025). Integration of Islamic values and science in integrated Islamic boarding school-based Islamic schools. Edusoshum?: Journal of Islamic Education and Social Humanities, 5(3), 313–324. https://doi.org/10.52366/edusoshum.v5i3.149
Baumann, J. F. (2021). Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension: The Nexus of Meaning. Handbook of Research on Reading Comprehension, 347–370. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315759609-28
Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2014). Reading comprehension and vocabulary: Is vocabulary more important for some aspects of comprehension? Annee Psychologique, 114(4), 647–662. https://doi.org/10.4074/S0003503314004035
Dahl, A., & Vulchanova, M. D. (2014). Naturalistic acquisition in an early language classroom. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(APR). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00329
de Sousa, L. B., Hubner, L. C., & da Silva, R. B. F. (2020). Lexical-semantic integration by good and poor reading comprehenders. Ilha Do Desterro, 73(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2020v73n1p63
Dickinson, D. K., Nesbitt, K. T., Collins, M. F., Hadley, E. B., Newman, K., Rivera, B. L., Ilgez, H., Nicolopoulou, A., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2019). Teaching for breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge: Learning from explicit and implicit instruction and the storybook texts. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 47, 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.07.012
Gagl, B., Sassenhagen, J., Haan, S., Gregorova, K., Richlan, F., & Fiebach, C. J. (2020). An orthographic prediction error as the basis for efficient visual word recognition. NeuroImage, 214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116727
He, Y., & Deocampo, J. A. (2023). Receptive vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension: Evidence from second language learners. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(4), 678–692.
Holmes, V. M. (2009). Bottom-up processing and reading comprehension in experienced adult readers. Journal of Research in Reading, 32(3), 309–326. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2009.01396.x
Kaplan, D. (2013). Development of reading comprehension from middle childhood to adolescence. Written Language & Literacy, 16(2), 208–240. https://doi.org/10.1075/wll.16.2.04kap
Khodjakulova, N. (2022). Implementing Metacognitive Strategies to Develop Vocabulary Competence. Bulletin of Science and Practice, 8(1), 329–337. https://doi.org/10.33619/2414-2948/74/49
Kiszczak, A. (2019). Reading as a core component of developing academic literacy skills in L2 settings. Lublin Studies in Modern Languages and Literature, 43(3), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.17951/lsmll.2019.43.3.89-98
LaBerge, D., & Samuels, S. J. (1974). Toward a theory of automatic information processing in reading. Cognitive Psychology, 6(2), 293–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(74)90015-2
Lailan Fadila, S., Sakinah Amaliyah Dalimunthe, & Nursakinah Siagian. (2024). Strategies to Improve English Reading Comprehension. Fonologi: Jurnal Ilmuan Bahasa Dan Sastra Inggris, 2(3), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.61132/fonologi.v2i3.774
Laufer, B., & Rozovski-Roitblat, B. (2015). Retention of new words: Quantity of encounters, quality of task, and degree of knowledge. Language Teaching Research, 19(6), 687–711. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168814559797
Lawrence, J. F., Knoph, R., McIlraith, A., Kulesz, P. A., & Francis, D. J. (2022). Reading Comprehension and Academic Vocabulary: Exploring Relations of Item Features and Reading Proficiency. Reading Research Quarterly, 57(2), 669–690. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.434
Liu, D., (2024). The Effect of Segmentation on Cognitive Load, Vocabulary Learning, Retention, and Reading Comprehension in a Multimedia Learning Environment. BMC Phychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01489-5
MacKay, D. G., Abrams, L., & Pedroza, M. J. (2022). Lexical quality and automatic word recognition in reading comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 57(3), 421–439.
MacKay, E. J., Conrad, N., & Deacon, S. H. (2022). How Does Lexical Access Fit into Models of Word Reading? Scientific Studies of Reading, 26(4), 327–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2021.1993230
Mecklinger, A., & Bader, R. (2020). From fluency to recognition decisions: A broader view of familiarity-based remembering. Neuropsychologia, 146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107527
Mohsen, M. A., & Almudawis, S. (2021). Second Language Vocabulary Gains from Listening Versus Reading Comprehension Input: A Comparative Study. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 50(3), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-020-09690-y
Muthuchamy, I. (2019). Acquiring Vocabulary through a Context-Based Approach. Shanlax International Journal of English, 7(2), 14–17. https://doi.org/10.34293/english.v7i2.325
Niculescu & Dragomir. (2020). Different approaches to Developing Writing Skills. Sciendo: Land Forces Academy Review. Vol. XXV, No 3(99). https://doi.org/ 10.2478/raft-2020-0024
Putri, L., Muhammad Rizki Rezani, & Dina Hermina. (2025). Correlational Research Design. Jurnal Riset Multidisiplin Edukasi, 2(6), 306–317. https://doi.org/10.71282/jurmie.v2i6.456
Qizi, M. Z. F. (2024). Developing Reading Competence in a Foreign Language: Strategies, Definitions, and Modern Perspectives. International Journal of Pedagogics, 4(11), 278–283. https://doi.org/10.37547/ijp/volume04issue11-54
Rahman, A. N. I., & Ekkayokkaya, M. (2024). Investigating the Way Contextual Teaching and Learning Approach Improves Senior High School Students’ Writing Skill in Indonesia. WorldCALL2023: Official Conference Proceedings, 149–155. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-1182.2024.17
Reynolds, B. L. (2022). Situated incidental vocabulary acquisition: The effects of in-class and out-of-class novel reading. Applied Linguistics Review, 13(5), 705–713. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2019-0059
Sarena, L. A., Anayati, W., & Suhendi, A. (2023). The Correlation Between Students’ Vocabulary and Their Descriptive Reading Comprehension. Journal of Language, 5(2), 392–400. https://doi.org/10.30743/jol.v5i2.7903
Sasidhar, K., & Aruna, G. (2024). Differentiated instruction and assessment for English language learners from theory to practice. Pedagogical Revelations and Emerging Trends, 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003587538-12
Selvathurai, S., & Hanim Ismail, H. (2024). Second Language Learners’ Difficulties in Reading Comprehension: A Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarped/v13-i4/23972
Shin, H. W. (2024). Instructional task modality and teacher effects on L2 vocabulary learning: Evidence from adolescent learners. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688241253617
Stoeckel, T., Ishii, T., Kim, Y. A., Ha, H. T., Ho, N. T. P., & McLean, S. (2023). A comparison of contextualized and non-contextualized meaning-recall vocabulary test formats. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2023.100075
Sun, D., Chen, Z., & Zhu, S. (2023). What affects second language vocabulary learning? Evidence from multivariate analysis. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1210640
Taky-eddine, M., & Madaoui, M. (2024). Revisiting the construction–integration model in second language reading comprehension. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 53(1), 115–132.
Taky-eddine, O., & Madaoui, R. (2024). How Do Readers Approach Traditional Texts and Hypertexts? A Review on Reading Comprehension Models. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 11(5). https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsshi/v11i05.03
Teng, F. (2019). The effects of context and word exposure frequency on incidental vocabulary acquisition and retention through reading. Language Learning Journal, 47(2), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2016.1244217
Teng, F. (2023). Vocabulary knowledge, reading strategies, and second language reading comprehension: A multidimensional perspective. Language Teaching Research, 27(5), 1124–1143.
Ulum, B., Qosim, N., & Singh, S. (2024). The Current Research Trend of Islamic Education in Indonesia Pesantren and Its Properties. Khulasah?: Islamic Studies Journal, 6(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.55656/kisj.v6i1.141
van den Broek, G. S. E., Wesseling, E., Huijssen, L., Lettink, M., & van Gog, T. (2022). Vocabulary Learning During Reading: Benefits of Contextual Inferences Versus Retrieval Opportunities. Cognitive Science, 46(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.13135
Vettori, G., Casado Ledesma, L., Tesone, S., & Tarchi, C. (2024). Key language, cognitive and higher-order skills for L2 reading comprehension of expository texts in English as foreign language students: a systematic review. Reading and Writing, 37(9), 2481–2519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-023-10479-3
Whitaker, A. (2024). Teaching Vocabulary in Meaningful and Memorable Ways: Explicit Instruction in the English Classroom. Georgia Journal of Literacy, 46(2), 50–64. https://doi.org/10.56887/galiteracy.166
Yang, H. (2022). Facilitating Vocabulary Learning by “3R”-- Recycling, Repetition and Retrieve. Learning & Education, 10(8), 175. https://doi.org/10.18282/l-e.v10i8.3111
Yap, M. J., Lim, G. Y., & Pexman, P. M. (2015). Semantic richness effects in lexical decision: The role of feedback. Memory and Cognition, 43(8), 1148–1167. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-015-0536-0
Yildiz, M., & Çetinkaya, E. (2017). The Relationship between Good Readers’ Attention, Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(3), 366–371. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2017.050309
Zhang, D., & Zhang, L. J. (2022). Vocabulary knowledge and lexical inferencing in second language reading comprehension. TESOL Quarterly, 56(2), 589–612.
Published
2026-05-01
How to Cite
Prastyo, H., Dewi, A., Al-Hamzi, A., Demana, N. V., Khikmiyah, S., & Zen, A. (2026). Recognition Memory of Vocabulary (RMV) and Reading Comprehension for EFL Learners in A Pesantren-Based Junior Secondary School. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 11(1), 27-45. https://doi.org/10.21462/ijefl.v11i1.1016
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