The data collection tool utilized in this study, VKS, is concerned with the descriptions
of stages that words pass through. That is why the use of such scales seems attractive on the
surface. However, such scales have been criticized in many ways. For example, Meara (1996)
criticizes Wesche and Parikbath’s VKS by claiming that the description of the word
knowledge is rather simple; only the very basic stages that a vocabulary item passes through
are defined and there is no attempt to account for more detailed knowledge about a word that
develops over time. However, it was not an obstacle for the study to use VKS since its goal
was not to account for detailed knowledge about the target words or more complex stages
they pass through. Instead, the main aim was to identify the initial stages or levels in
vocabulary in vocabulary development by students’ self-reports and demonstrations. To the
researcher’s understanding, VKS satisfied the objectives of the study.