Vocabulary Research Paper (25 mins)
Using Context-Specific Word Lists to Analyse the Lexicon of Academic ELT Textbooks
Although textbooks in foreign language programmes provide teachers with support, attending to specific vocabulary difficulties remains challenging. Understanding the vocabulary load of textbooks can help teachers use accessible materials and clear instruction in the curriculum design process.
Research suggests textbooks are not adequately covering high-frequency vocabulary, so further analysis is needed to ascertain the lexicon of textbooks and understand their suitability for learners in varying contexts. This study outlines research using a general word list and a Japanese-context word list to investigate the lexicon of two commercially published textbooks. The results show that although the vocabulary load of each unit in the textbooks become increasingly difficult, overall, the textbook is too lexically demanding for Japanese-tertiary level students, with knowledge of 8,000 words necessary for comprehension. Finally, pedagogical implications, including the use of word cards and vocabulary quizzes to assist the needs of students will be discussed.
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Stuart Benson is an Associate Professor at the University of Aizu in Fukushima, Japan. He has taught in Japan and New Zealand. His areas of interest are ESP in non-university settings, vocabulary acquisition, and corpus linguistics. His current research investigates technical vocabulary in spoken rugby discourse.
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Naheen Madarbakus-Ring is a lecturer at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business in Japan. She has taught in South Korea, the UK and New Zealand. Naheen received her PhD in Applied Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington (NZ). Her research areas include listening strategies, curriculum and material development.