Incidental VS. Intentional Vocabulary Amongst Sudanese Undergraduates (The case of level two and four at the faculty of education in University of Kassala

Abstract

This study is an attempt to explore some aspects of distinction between incidental and intentional vocabulary learning among second and fourth year undergraduate students of English . This I because approach distinction is reliable of raising learners' competence to activate the d cognitive process of constructive learning rather than merely depending on the traditions of instructive learning . For this purpose , vocabulary achievement is devised to explain the distinctive nature of the two learning approaches as indicated by the results obtained from vocabulary test. To achieve that goal , the combination of the experimental , descriptive and analytical approach to data is employed to see the extent to which the two learning approaches are distinct , but strongly related . A pre-test and a post-test with a mediating practical teaching experiment are used to prepare for and collect data on the nature of vocabulary achievement . Responses are elicited from two subject groups of variable levels of linguistic information , teaching techniques and learning strategies that is second year students receive no previous linguistic information. Scores are used to identify quantity and quality of vocabulary knowledge , learning measurement and the degree of reinforcement shared between the two approaches . The findings reflects limited vocabulary achievement of significant variation with regard to obvious approach distinction . The incidental learners with a majority of (68%) appear to know more about vocabulary use whereas the intentional learners with an average of (58%) are observed to know more about vocabulary linguistic facts . This comes as a result of the direct norm of assessment available for incidental learners which is not the case for incidental learning as dominated by indirect measuring . Therefore , the study recommends that incidental learning should be given the chance to work in coincidence with intentional one so that the two approaches are clearly distinguished in aspects of concepts , procedures , strategies , techniques and factors . Awareness of these issues is well beneficial in adopting intentional learning for the reinforcement of incidental learning to work as complementary rather than isolated approaches .