The effect of Vocabulary Knowledge Depth on Reading Comprehension of Sudanese EFL Learners

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effect of depth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension performance of EFL learners. The study also tries to find out whether gender has any effect on learners reading comprehension. The participants of the study were 103 third-year students majoring in English at university of Nyala and Comboni college of science and Technology. To collect the relevant data, two tests measuring vocabulary depth and reading comprehension were administered to the participants. The results obtained from the data analysis have not indicated any significant effect of vocabulary depth in EFL learners reading comprehension ability. The study has also come out that there was no significant difference in performance of males and females participants in vocabulary test and consequently there was no difference in their reading comprehension ability. Vocabulary knowledge has no statistically significant effect in predicting reading comprehension proficiency of the participants. Based on these findings, a number of suggestions and recommendations are put forward.