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[Abstract] This article proposes a framework for the assessment of second language vocabulary knowledge by juxtaposing two major theoretical distinctions: "breadth" versus "depth" and "receptive" versus "productive," generally addressed separately in previous research. Several vocabulary assessment tools are critiqued and contextualized within one of the four categories of the proposed taxonomy: "receptive vocabulary breadth," "productive vocabulary breadth," "receptive vocabulary depth," and "productive vocabulary depth." The article takes a critical look at the functionality and underlying assumptions of each lexical tool.
[Keywords] English as a second language; vocabulary knowledge assessment; lexical assessment tools
Introduction
A key distinction made in second language vocabulary assessment (SLVA) research is the one between "breadth" and "depth" of vocabulary knowledge. Breadth of vocabulary knowledge entails vocabulary size, while depth refers to the quality of vocabulary knowledge (Meara, 1996; Read, 2000). Another essential theoretical distinction related to vocabulary knowledge opposes "receptive knowledge," which involves the ability to perceive a word while listening or reading and to retrieve its meaning, to "productive knowledge," the ability to use a word in speech or writing (Nation, 2001, p. 25). SLVA researchers tend to approach vocabulary knowledge assessment through the lenses of only one of the two distinctions.
This paper juxtaposes the two criteria, "breadth" versus "depth" and "receptive" versus "productive" to generate a more thorough taxonomy that responds to the complexity of the "vocabulary knowledge" construct. Practical ways of assessing English as a second language (ESL) vocabulary are analyzed, and the following lexical assessment tools are presented and critiqued with a focus on their underlying assumptions:
Receptive Vocabulary Breadth Tools:
* The Vocabulary Level Tests (VLT )- the receptive version (Nation, 2001; Schmitt, 2000)
* The Eurocentres Vocabulary Size Test (EVST) (Meara & Jones, 1990)
* The Webster Third Vocabulary Test (Goulden, Nation, & Read, 1990)
Productive Vocabulary Breadth Tool: The Vocabulary Level Tests (VLT) - the productive version (Laufer & Nation, 1995)
Receptive Vocabulary Depth Tool: The Word-Associate Test (WAT) (Read, 1993) Productive Vocabulary Depth Tools:
* Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) (Paribakht & Wesche, 1993)
* The Web VocabProfiler (Cobb, 2006) in conjunction with the Academic Writing Standard (Morris & Cobb, 2004)
Importance of Vocabulary Knowledge
Vocabulary knowledge is an important component of linguistic competence, which, together with discourse competence, socio-cultural competence,...