Measuring Native-Speaker Vocabulary Size
Authors
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.
[Not in series, 233] 2021. xiii, 160 pp.
Publishing status: Available
© John Benjamins
Table of Contents
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Detailed table of contents | pp. ix–xi
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Acknowledgements | pp. xiii–xiv
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Chapter 1. Introduction | pp. 1–6
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Chapter 2. The productive vocabulary sizes of young native-speakers of English | pp. 7–18
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Chapter 3. Dictionary-based studies of vocabulary size | pp. 19–34
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Chapter 4. The receptive vocabulary sizes of young native-speakers of English | pp. 35–44
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Chapter 5. The vocabulary sizes of native-speakers of English in secondary school | pp. 45–52
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Chapter 6. Frequency-list based studies of adult native-speakers’ vocabulary size | pp. 53–62
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Chapter 7. Factors affecting native-speaker vocabulary size and growth | pp. 63–78
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Chapter 8. Supporting native-speaker vocabulary growth | pp. 79–98
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Chapter 9. Measures and item types used to estimate native-speaker vocabulary size | pp. 99–114
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Chapter 10. Creating a vocabulary size test | pp. 115–124
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Chapter 11. Needed research and some final thoughts | pp. 125–132
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Appendixes
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Appendix 1. Instructions for individual test administration for research assistants (Coxhead, Nation, Woods, & Sim, 2018) | pp. 133–134
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Appendix 2. Vocabulary size test feedback sheet for scores over 10,000 words (Coxhead, Nation, Woods, & Sim, 2018) | pp. 135–136
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Appendix 3. Thorndike, E. L. (1924). The vocabularies of school pupils. In J. C. Bell (Ed.), Contributions to Education (pp. 69–76). New York, NY: World Book Co. | pp. 137–142
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References | pp. 143–154
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Author index | pp. 155–158
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Subject index | pp. 159–160
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Subjects
Main BIC Subject
CFDC: Language acquisition
Main BISAC Subject
LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General