Edited by Ute Römer-Barron, Viviana Cortes and Eric Friginal
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 95] 2020
► pp. 9–32
Many corpus-based studies focus on the use of academic vocabulary in journal articles and textbooks while creating vocabulary lists and argue for the teaching of such lists, but few examine how students employ those words in their writing. The present study investigates English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ use of academic vocabulary in their writing assignments as they attend a dual-degree program in STEM fields in Tbilisi, Georgia. Over a thousand student papers from their General Education courses are examined for their use of academic vocabulary, using Gardner and Davies’ (2014) Academic Vocabulary List. Results show variation in students’ academic vocabulary use and quantity while progressing in their studies and as they produce the different text-types in their coursework.