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Article published In:
ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 172:1 (2021) ► pp.58–84

Words from where?

Predictors of L2 English vocabulary among Norwegian university students

ORCID logo | Norwegian University of Science and Technology

This study investigated variation in receptive L2 English vocabulary among Norwegian university students in relation to their field of study and exposure to English, both within and outside of formal education. A survey comprising the Vocabulary Levels Test (Schmitt, Schmitt, & Clapham, 2001) and questions about sources of language acquisition was completed by 189 Norwegian university students. The results indicate that vocabulary knowledge varied between students whose courses required different amounts of English reading. Extramural exposure to English was found to be a stronger predictor of vocabulary scores than formal English education. Since vocabulary knowledge is an important predictor of reading comprehension, it is important to consider how much the observed variation in vocabulary knowledge might affect academic outcomes.

Keywords: vocabulary, extramural English, L2 acquisition, English as a second language, English for academic purposes
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
    • Sources of L2 vocabulary learning
    • Vocabulary and L2 comprehension
    • Research questions
  • Method
    • Participants and procedure
    • Instrument
    • Analysis
  • Results
    • RQ 1How much vocabulary at different frequency levels do the students know and how much does this vary within the sample?
    • RQ 2How does vocabulary knowledge compare between students with different proportions of English as part of their curriculum?
    • RQ 3Which language exposure variables are significantly associated with vocabulary knowledge for these students?
      • Time spent at university
      • Formal English education vs extramural exposure
  • Discussion
    • Vocabulary scores
    • Vocabulary scores among students from different study programs
    • L2 exposure variables associated with vocabulary scores
    • Limitations and suggestions for future research
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 23 March 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.19018.bus
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