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Abstract
This paper explores the vocabulary acquisition of 143 middle school students from an East
Malaysian school, examining its correlation with gender, attitudes, and perceived
problems faced in vocabulary learning. Using the Contextualised Word Family
(CONTEXTUALISED WORD FAMILY) model, the study tested the effectiveness of explicit
vocabulary instruction over 30 sessions. The study utilised a one-group pretest-posttest
design, measuring the learners’ vocabulary size through the Productive Vocabulary Levels
Test (PVLT) and a questionnaire. The results showed an increase in vocabulary size with
no significant difference based on gender, a very weak negative correlation with attitudes
towards vocabulary learning, and mostly weak positive but significant relationships with
three of the learners’ perceived problems faced in vocabulary learning. This study
provides some important pedagogical implications for teacher practice and
recommendations for future research.
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