This study investigates how vocabulary knowledge (lexical coverage) relates to reading comprehension in English for Medical Purposes (EMP), with a focus on AI-assisted text simplification. Using a quasi-experimental design with 199 medical students, the research compares performance on original and AI-simplified biochemistry texts. Results show no significant improvement in overall comprehension, but a stronger correlation between vocabulary knowledge and comprehension in the simplified condition. The findings suggest that AI simplification reshapes reading processes by reducing structural complexity and increasing the role of vocabulary knowledge, rather than directly enhancing understanding. This work contributes to research on L2 reading, medical English pedagogy, and AI-assisted language learning.
Evgeni Stanchev (Thu,) studied this question.
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