English Majors’ Use of L2 Lexical Inferencing Strategies in Relation to Academic Reading Performance at Can Tho University

Abstract

"Lexical inferencing is a crucial component of second-language (L2) academic reading, as learners frequently encounter unfamiliar vocabulary in complex texts. This mixed-methods study investigates English major students’ use of L2 lexical inferencing strategies and examines the relationship between strategy use and academic reading performance at Can Tho University. Quantitative data were collected from 122 English majors through a structured questionnaire measuring the frequency of intralingual, contextual, and extralinguistic strategy use, alongside a lexical inferencing test adapted from an authentic academic reading passage to assess actual inferencing performance. To enrich and explain the quantitative findings, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six volunteer participants. Descriptive statistics and reliability analyses were employed for quantitative data, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results indicate that students reported frequent use of lexical inferencing strategies, particularly contextual and intralingual strategies, whereas extralinguistic strategies were used less consistently. However, test performance revealed variability across lexical items, suggesting that high self-reported strategy use does not always correspond to successful inferencing outcomes. Interview findings further highlighted the roles of vocabulary knowledge, contextual cues, text difficulty, and academic reading experience in influencing inferencing success. Overall, the study underscores the complex relationship between perceived strategy use and actual reading performance and offers pedagogical implications for enhancing lexical inferencing instruction in EFL academic reading contexts."