The relationship between vocabulary knowledge, linguistic intelligence and morphological awareness among EFL learners

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between vocabulary knowledge, linguistic intelligence and morphological awareness among 73 university EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. In addition, relative contribution of linguistic intelligence and morphological awareness to the prediction of vocabulary knowledge was tested. The participants were administered vocabulary level, morphological awareness and linguistic intelligence tests. The results revealed that learners' vocabulary knowledge was significantly correlated with their linguistic intelligence and morphological awareness. It was also shown that linguistic intelligence and morphological awareness either collectively or separately were potent predictors of vocabulary knowledge among EFL learners. The implications of the study are discussed.