A Study on the Relationship between Speaking Self-Efficacy and Vocabulary Knowledge among Chinese Intermediate Learners of Korean

This study examined the relationship between speaking self-efficacy and vocabulary knowledge, specifically vocabulary size and vocabulary depth, among 85 intermediate-level Chinese learners of Korean. Correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed a moderate relationship between vocabulary size and vocabulary depth. Vocabulary depth had a significant impact on speaking self-efficacy, while vocabulary size did not show a significant effect. These findings suggest that deeper lexical knowledge, including understanding word meanings, idiomatic expressions, synonyms, and antonyms, plays a greater role in enhancing speaking confidence than merely possessing a large vocabulary. The results emphasize the need for teaching approaches that balance vocabulary size and depth, with a focus on practical application. This study contributes to the limited body of research on speaking self-efficacy in Korean language education. However, the generalizability of the findings is restricted due to the limited participant group. Future research should involve learners from a wider range of linguistic and proficiency backgrounds to draw more comprehensive and generalizable conclusions.