An Analysis of Context Clue Types Used by Students in Interpreting Unfamiliar Vocabulary

Winandar, Andre (2026) An Analysis of Context Clue Types Used by Students in Interpreting Unfamiliar Vocabulary. Skripsi thesis, UIN Imam Bonjol Padang.

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Abstract

This study aimed to describe the types of context clues used by students in interpreting unfamiliar vocabulary in reading texts. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach. The participants of this study were thirteen fourth-semester students of Class A in the English Tadris Program at Imam Bonjol State Islamic University Padang. The data were collected through a set of open-ended response items adapted from TOEFL and IELTS reading materials. Students were required to explain the contextual information that helped them interpret unfamiliar vocabulary. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, which consists of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings revealed that students utilized all five types of context clues identified in Baumann’s theory, namely definition clues, synonym clues, antonym clues, example clues, and general context clues. General context clues appeared most frequently in students’ written explanations, indicating that students often relied on broader contextual information from sentences, paragraphs, and overall text situations when interpreting unfamiliar vocabulary. Definition and synonym clues were also frequently identified, while antonym clues appeared less often. In addition, some responses were categorized as Unclear/No Context because the explanations did not provide sufficient evidence of identifiable context clue use. The findings suggest that students employed different types of contextual information when interpreting unfamiliar vocabulary and that broader contextual understanding played an important role in the meaning-construction process during reading.

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