Academic vocabulary for L2 argumentative writing: Perspectives from Chinese university EFL learners

Changyong Min, Apisak Sukying

Abstract


Academic vocabulary plays a critical role in L2 argumentative writing. Recent studies have specifically examined the importance of academic vocabulary and academic word lists for EAP and ESP learning and research. However, it is unclear how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners perceive academic vocabulary and the challenges they face using this vocabulary in university argumentative essays. The present study adopted a case study approach to investigate Chinese university EFL learners’ perceptions of, and problems with, academic vocabulary in an argumentative writing task. Five fourth-year advanced EFL learners were assigned to write an IELTS essay before participating in a one-on-one interview. The results indicated that while participants had a heightened awareness of the importance of academic vocabulary, they lacked a comprehensive understanding of this construct. More specifically, they knew little about the academic register, and their academic vocabulary size was small. Consequently, various problems arose in relation to the use of academic words in their argumentative writing, including word choice and the over-reliance on Chinese word meaning and word spelling knowledge. The EFL learners also reported that the biggest challenge to their academic writing was the lack of academic collocation knowledge. These findings have pedagogical implications for understanding the academic lexical problems facing Chinese EFL learners in their academic writing.

Keywords


academic vocabulary knowledge; Chinese university EFL learners; L2 argumentative writing; perceptions of academic vocabulary

Full Text:

PDF

References


Brun-Mercer, N., & Zimmerman, C.B. (2015). Fostering academic vocabulary use in writing. The CATESOL Journal, 27(1), 131-148.

Cai, J.G. (2012). The design and illustration of the EAP-Oriented guidelines for EFL teaching at tertiary level. FLLTP, 4(2012), 1-9.

Csomay, E. & Prades, A. (2018). Academic vocabulary in ESL student papers: A corpus-based study. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 33(2018), 100-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2018.02.003

Charles, M., & Pecorari, D. (2016). Introducing English for academic purposes. Routledge.

Chung, M. and Nation, P. (2003). Technical vocabulary in specialised texts. Reading in a Foreign Language, 15(2), 103-116. http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl

Crossley, S.A. (2020). Linguistic features in writing quality and development: An overview. Journal of Writing Research, 11 (3), 415-443. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2020.11.03.01

Crossley, S.A., Salsbury,T., & Mcnamara, D.S. (2015). Assessing lexical proficiency using analytic ratings: A case for collocation accuracy. Applied Linguistics, 36(5),570-590. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amt056

Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2), 213-38. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587951

Coxhead, A. (2007). Factors and aspects of knowledge affecting L2 word use in writing. In P. Davidson, C. Coombe, D. Lloyd, & D. Palfreyman (Eds.), Teaching and Learning Vocabulary in another Language (pp. 331-342). Dubai, UAE: TESOL

Coxhead, A. (2011). The Academic Word List 10 years on: Research and teaching implications. TESOL Quarterly, 45(2), 355-62. https://doi.org/10.5054/tq.2011.254528

Coxhead, A. (2012). Academic vocabulary, writing and English for academic purposes: Perspectives from second language learners. RELC Journal, 43(1), 137-145. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688212439323

Coxhead, A. (2016). Reflecting on Coxhead (2000), “A New Academic Word List”. TESOL Quarterly, 50 (1), 181-185. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.287

Coxhead, A. (2020). Academic vocabulary. In S. Webb (Ed). The Routledge handbook of vocabulary studies. (pp. 97-110). Routledge.

Coxhead, A. and Byrd, P. (2007). Preparing writing teachers to teach the vocabulary and grammar of academic prose. Journal of Second Language Writing, 16 (3), 129-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2007.07.002

Coxhead, A., & Boutorwick, T.J. (2018). Longitudinal vocabulary development in an EMI International School context: Learners and texts in EAL, Maths, and Science. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 588-610. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.450

Coxhead, A., Dang, T.N.Y., & Mukai, S. (2017). Single and multi-word unit vocabulary in university tutorials and laboratories. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 30 (2017) 66-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2017.11.001

Dang, T.N.Y., Coxhead, A., & Webb, S. (2017). The academic spoken word list. Language Learning, 67(4), 959-997. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12253

Dang, T.N.Y., & Webb, S. (2020). Vocabulary instruction and the good language teachers. In C. Griffiths, Z. Tajeddin, & A. Brown (Eds.), Lessons from good language teachers (pp. 203-218). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108774390.019

Dodigovic, M., Ma, C.C., & Jing, S. (2017). Lexical transfer in the writing of Chinese learners of English. TESOL International Journal, 12(1), 75-90.

Durrant, P. (2014). Discipline- and level-specificity in university students’ written vocabulary. Applied Linguistics, 35(3), 328-356. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amt016

Durrant, P. (2016). To what extent is the academic vocabulary list relevant to university student writing? English for Specific Purposes, 43 (2016), 49-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2016.01.004

Evans, S., & Green, C. (2007). Why EAP is necessary: A survey of Hong Kong tertiary students. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 6(1), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2006.11.005

Gardner, D., & Davies, M. (2014). A new academic vocabulary list. Applied Linguistics, 35(3), 305-327. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amt015

Hyland, K., & Tse, P. (2007). Is there an “Academic Vocabulary”? TESOL Quarterly, 41(2), 235-253. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2007.tb00058.x

Henriksen, B., & Danelund, L. (2015). Studies of Danish L2 learners’ vocabulary knowledge and the lexical richness of their written production in English. In P. Pietilä, K. Doró, & R. Pípalová (Eds.), Lexical issues in L2 writing (pp. 30–55). Cambridge Scholars Publisher.

Jacobs, H., Zingraf, A., Warmuth, D., Hartfiel, V. & Hughey, J. (1981). Testing ESL composition: A practical approach. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

Jiang, N. (2000). Lexical representation and development in a second language. Applied Linguistics, 21(1), 47-77. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/21.1.47

Jakobsen, A. S. (2017). From implicit norms to explicit skills -focusing on Danish academic vocabulary. Oslo Studies in Language, 9(3), 59-76. https://doi.org/10.5617/osla.5847

Jakobsen, S.A., Coxhead, A. & Henriksen, B. (2018). General and academic high frequency vocabulary in Danish. Nordic Journal of Second Language Research, 13(1), 64-89. https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2535-3381-2018-01-04

Khani, R & Tazik, K. (2013). Towards the development of an academic word list for Applied Linguistics research articles. RELC Journal, 44 (2) 209-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688213488432

Kyle, K., & Crossley, S. A. (2015). Automatically assessing lexical sophistication: Indices, tools, findings and application. TESOL Quarterly, 49(4), 757-786. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.194

Laufer, B. & Goldstein, Z. (2004). Testing vocabulary knowledge: Size, strength, and computer adaptiveness. Language Learning, 54(3), 399-436. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0023-8333.2004.00260.x

Laufer B, & Nation, P. (1999). A vocabulary-size test of controlled productive ability. Language Testing, 16(1): 33-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553229901600103

Laufer, B. & Waldman, T. (2011). Verb-Noun collocations in second language writing: A corpus analysis of learner’ English. Language Learning, 61(2), 647-672. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00621.x

Lee, S. H. & Muncie, J. (2006). From receptive to productive: Improving ESL learners’ use of vocabulary in a post-reading composition task. TESOL Quarterly, 40(2), 295-320. https://doi.org/10.2307/40264524

Leki, I. & Carson, J. (1994). Students’ perceptions of EAP writing instruction and writing needs across the disciplines. TESOL Quarterly, 28(1), 81-101. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587199

Lesaux, N. K., Kieffer, M. J., Kelley, J. G., & Harris, J. R. (2014). Effects of academic vocabulary instruction for linguistically diverse adolescents: Evidence from a randomized field trial. American Educational Research Journal, 51(6), 1159-1194. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214532165

Levitzky-Aviad, T., & Laufer, B. (2013). Lexical properties in the writing of foreign language learners over eight years of study: Single words and collocations. In C. Bardel, C. Lindquist & B. Laufer (Eds). L2 Vocabulary Acquisition, Knowledge and Use, new perspectives on assessment and corpus analysis. (pp. 127-148). European Second Language Association.

Llach, M.P.A. (2011). Lexical errors and accuracy in foreign language writing. Second Language Acquisition. Multilingual Matters.

Masrai, A., & Milton, J. (2018). Measuring the contribution of academic and general vocabulary knowledge to learners' academic achievement. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 31, 44-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2017.12.006

Morris, L., & Cobb, T. (2004). Vocabulary profiles as predictors of the academic performance of teaching English as a second language trainees. System 32(2004), 75-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2003.05.001

Nagy, W., & Townsend, D. (2012). Words as tools: Learning academic vocabulary as language acquisition. Reading Research Quarterly, 47(1), 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1002/RRQ.011

Nation, I.S.P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge University Press.

Nation, I.S.P. (2006). How large a vocabulary is needed for reading and listening? Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(1), 59-82. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.63.1.59

Nation, I. S. P. (2016). Making and using word lists for language learning and testing. John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Nation, I.S.P. (2022). Learning vocabulary in another language (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Nation, I. S. P., Coxhead, A., Chung, T. M., & Quero, B. (2016). Specialized word lists. In Making and using word lists for language learning and testing (pp. 145–151). John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Paquot, M. (2010). Academic vocabulary in learner writing: From extraction to analysis. Continuum International.

Pecorari, D., Shaw, P., & Malmström, H. (2019). Developing a new academic vocabulary test. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 39(2019), 59-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2019.02.004

Qiao, L.T. & Wang, W.Y. (2020). An empirical study of the impact of dictionary use on learner’s lexical performance in L2 writing: Chinese L2 learners as an example. Foreign Languages Research, 5(2020), 36-42.

Read, J., & Dang, T.N.Y. (2022). Measuring depth of academic vocabulary knowledge. Language Teaching Research, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688221105913

Roche, T. & Harrington, M. (2013). Recognition vocabulary knowledge as a predictor of academic performance in an English as a foreign language setting. Language Testing in Asia, 12(3), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/2229-0443-3-12

Santos, T. (1988). Professors’ reactions to the academic writing of nonnative-speaking students. TESOL Quarterly, 22(1), 69-90. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587062

Schmitt, N., & Schmitt, D. (2014). A reassessment of frequency and vocabulary size in L2 vocabulary teaching. Language Teaching, 47(4), 484-503. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444812000018

Simpson-Vlach, R., & Ellis, N. (2010). An Academic Formulas List: New Methods in Phraseology Research. Applied Linguistics, 31(4), 487-512. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amp058

Skjelde, K., & Coxhead, A. (2020). Mind the gap: Academic vocabulary knowledge as a predictor of English grades. Acta Didactica Norden,14(3), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.5617/adno.7975

Snow, C., & Uccelli, P. (2009). The challenge of academic language. In D. Olson & N. Torrance (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of literacy. Cambridge University Press.

Soleymanzadeh, L., & Gholami, J. (2014). Scoring argumentative essays based on thematic progression patterns and IELTS analytic scoring criteria. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98(2014), 1811-1819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.610

Sukying, A. (2018). Investigating receptive and productive affix knowledge in EFL learners. In David Hirsh (Ed.), Explorations in Second Language Vocabulary Research (pp. 183-218). Peter Lang.

Stahl, S., & Nagy, W. (2006). Evidence for the importance of academic word knowledge for the academic achievement of diverse middle school students. The Elementary School Journal, 112 (3), 497-518.

Townsend, D., Filippini, A., Collins, P., & Biancarosa, G. (2012). Evidence for the importance of academic word knowledge for the academic achievement of diverse middle school students. The Elementary School Journal, 112(3), 497-518. https://doi.org/10.1086/663301

Uchihara, T., & Harada, T. (2018). Roles of vocabulary knowledge for success in English-Medium instruction: Self-Perceptions and academic outcomes of Japanese undergraduates. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 564-587. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.453

Vu, D.V. and Michel, M. (2021). An exploratory study on the aspects of vocabulary knowledge addressed in EAP textbooks. Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics,10(2020), 1-15. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0249-8028

Warnby, M. (2023). Academic vocabulary knowledge among adolescents in university preparatory programme. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 61(2023), 101-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2022.101203

Wu, J. (2010). 中国研究生产出性学术词汇知识深度的语料库研究 [A corpus study on the depth of productive academic vocabulary knowledge in China]. Foreign Language Education, 32(2), 52-55.

Wen, Q.F., Ding, Y.R., & Wang, W.Y. (2003). 中国大学生英语书面语中的口语化倾向—高水平英语学习者语料对比分析 [The colloquial tendency of Chinese college students in written English: A comparative analysis of language materials from high-level English learners]. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 35(4), 34-43.

Webb, S. A., & Chang, A. C.-S. (2012). Second language vocabulary growth. RELC Journal, 43 (1), 113-126. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263114000606

Webb, S., & Sasao, Y. (2013). New directions in vocabulary testing. RELC Journal, 44 (3), 263-277. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688213500582

West, M. (1953). A general service list of English words. Longman.

You, H. & Shi, L. (2017). The lexical problems in college English writing and coping strategies. College English Teaching & Research,89(4), 54-62.

Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (4th ed). SAGE.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v11i3.36562

Article Metrics

Abstract view : 63 times
PDF - 29 times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Print ISSN: 2355-2794, Online ISSN: 2461-0275

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


View Journal Stats