Word lists lie at the heart of good vocabulary course design, the development of graded materials for extensive listening and extensive reading, research on vocabulary load, and vocabulary test development. This book has been written for vocabulary researchers and curriculum designers to describe the factors they need to consider when they create frequency-based word lists. These include the purpose for which the word list is to be used, the design of the corpus from which the list will be made, the unit of counting, and what should and should not be counted as words. The book draws on research to show the current state of knowledge of these factors and provides very practical guidelines for making word lists for language teaching and testing. The writer is well known for his work in the teaching and learning of vocabulary and in the creation of word lists and vocabulary size tests based on word lists.

This edited volume provides a single coherent overview of vocabulary teaching and learning in relation to each of the four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Each of the four sections presents a skill area with two chapters presented by two leading experts in the field, relating recent advances in the field to the extent that each skill area relates differently to vocabulary and how this informs pedagogy and policy. The book opens with a summary of recent advances in the field of vocabulary, and closes by drawing conclusions from the skill areas covered. The chapters respond to emerging vocabulary research trends that indicate that lexical acquisition needs to be treated differently according to the skill area. The editors have chosen chapters to respond to recent research advances and to highlight practical and pedagogical application in a single coherent volume.

The Routledge Handbook of Vocabulary Studies provides a cutting-edge survey of current scholarship in this area. Divided into four sections, which cover understanding vocabulary; approaches to teaching and learning vocabulary; measuring knowledge of vocabulary; and key issues in teaching, researching, and measuring vocabulary, this Handbook: • brings together a wide range of approaches to learning words to provide clarity on how best vocabulary might be taught and learned; • provides a comprehensive discussion of the key issues and challenges in vocabulary studies, with research taken from the past 40 years; • includes chapters on both formulaic language as well as single-word items; • features original contributions from a range of internationally renowned scholars as well as academics at the forefront of innovative research. The Routledge Handbook of Vocabulary Studies is an essential text for those interested in teaching, learning, and researching vocabulary.

This guide to vocabulary acquisition is essential reading for teachers of English as a second or foreign language. It presents the major ideas and principles that relate to the teaching and learning of vocabulary and evaluates a wide range of practical activities designed to help boost students’ vocabulary acquisition. Key questions which are answered include: • How many words should students learn at a time, and how often? • How much classroom time should be spent teaching vocabulary? • What is the best way to group vocabulary for learning? • Is it useful to provide students with the L1 translations of unknown words? • Why do some students make greater progress than others? stuart webb is Professor in Applied Linguistics at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. paul nation is Emeritus Professor in Applied Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Teachers will find answers to many of their perennial questions about vocabulary learning—as well as some they had not yet thought to ask! There is research evidence to support established practices, but also new evidence that challenges old ideas. patsy lightbown (co-author of How Languages are Learned, with Nina Spada)

Estimating native-speaker vocabulary size is important for guiding interventions to support native-speaker vocabulary growth and for setting goals for learners of English as a foreign language. Unfortunately, the measurement of native-speaker vocabulary size has been one of the most methodologically contentious areas of research in applied linguistics, with estimates of adults’ vocabulary size ranging from 12,000 words to well over 200,000 words. This book reviews over one hundred years of research, critically examining the methodological issues and findings at each age level from young children to adults, and suggesting solutions. It presents a model organising the factors involved in vocabulary growth and is rich in well-researched suggestions for supporting native-speaker vocabulary learning. It concludes with topics for further research. The research shows that we now have a more stable and coherent picture of what and how much vocabulary native-speakers know, and how this knowledge grows throughout their lives.

This volume offers research-based studies on English for Specific Purposes in higher education from across the world. By drawing on international studies, the book brings together diverse ESP practices and aspects of relevant issues in the development of ESP programs, teachers and learners in a coherent fashion. There is a growing need for undergraduate students to develop their proficiency of ESP skills and knowledge in the increasingly globalized world. Knowledge of ESP is an important factor in subject matter learning by students, and also closely related to the performance of university graduates in the relevant sectors. Careful planning and efficient implementation are essential to ensure the quality of the language learning process. For a variety of reasons, it proves difficult to maintain ESP instruction in higher education. These reasons include the incompetence of teachers, lack of materials for that specific context, as well as lack of opportunities for ESP teachers to develop their skills. The chapters in this book, taken from a wide variety of countries, shed light on the diversity of current practices and issues surrounding ESP.

The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Corpora is a state-of-the-art collection of cutting-edge scholarship at the intersection of second language acquisition and learner corpus research. It draws on data-driven, statistical analysis to outline the background, methods, and outcomes of language learning, with a range of global experts providing detailed guidelines and findings. The volume is organized into five sections: Methodological and theoretical contributions to the study of learner language using corpora – setting the scene Key aspects in corpus design, annotation, and analysis for SLA Corpora in SLA theory and practice SLA constructs and corpora Future directions This is a ground-breaking collection of essays offering incisive and essential reading for anyone with an interest in second language acquisition, learner corpus research, and applied linguistics.

Specialised English: New Directions in ESP and EAP Research and Practice provides an authoritative and cutting-edge account of the latest avenues of research and practice in the dynamic field of Specialised English. Ken Hyland and Lillian Wong present 17 specially commissioned chapters by some of the world’s leading experts to offer discussions of key topics in research, theory and pedagogy from a variety of international perspectives. Divided into three sections, which focus on conceptual issues, text and classroom practice, this book: Offers a clear and accessible introduction to current issues in EAP and ESP, including academic interaction, academic lingua franca, second language publishing, workplace talk, practitioner identity, data-driven learning and critical thinking Includes studies of a range of genres such as research articles and student reports, student spontaneous speech, personal statements, builders’ diaries and university tutorials Presents links between theory and practice with a sampling of different research methodologies, practical applications and theoretical approaches Specialised English is essential reading for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers in EAP/ESP and applied linguistics, as well as pre- and in-service teachers and teacher educators.

Volume III of the Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning, like Volumes I and II, is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of current research into social contexts of second language (L2)/foreign language (FL) teaching and learning; language policy; curriculum; types of instruction; incremental language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar; international communication; pragmatics; assessment and testing. It differs from earlier volumes in its main purpose—to provide a more in-depth discussion and detailed focus on the development of the essential language skills required for any type of communication: speaking, listening, reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing. Volume III preserves continuity with previous volumes in its coverage of all the classical areas of research in L2/FL teaching and learning and applied linguistics, but rather than offering a historical review of disciplinary traditions, it explores innovations and new directions of research, acknowledges the enormous complexity of teaching and learning the essential language abilities, and offers a diversity of perspectives. Chapter authors are all leading authorities in their disciplinary areas. What’s new in Volume III? Updates the prominent areas of research, including the sub-disciplines addressed in Volumes I and II, and represents the disciplinary mainstays Considers and discusses perspectives held by different schools of thought on the what, the how, and the why of teaching foundational language skills, including theories, pedagogical principles, and their implementation in practice Captures new and ongoing developments and trends in the key areas of L2/FL teaching and learning, and innovative research topics that have gained substantial recognition in current publications, including the role of corpora, technology, and digital literacy in L2/FL teaching and learning Examines new trends in language pedagogy and research, such as an increased societal emphasis on teaching academic language for schooling, somewhat contradictory definitions of literacy, and the growing needs for instruction in intercultural communication.

This volume provides an up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of second language learning. The focus throughout the book is primarily on language learning, but each chapter also discusses the implications for teaching and assessment, thus informing both understanding and practice. The book contains nine sections, which aim to organise and reflect different dimensions of the diverse and complex scope of learning English as a second or additional language. Four themes which permeate the chapters are: learning and learners; learning and language; learning and language development; learning and learning context. The 36 chapters are up-to-date and authoritative, written by experts in the field. The content is accessibly written, with questions for discussion and follow-up reading suggestions provided.