L2 english receptive and productive vocabulary in senior learners

  1. María Martínez Adrián
  2. Francisco Gallardo del Puerto
Zeitschrift:
ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics

ISSN: 0019-0810

Datum der Publikation: 2010

Nummer: 160

Seiten: 112-131

Art: Artikel

Andere Publikationen in: ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics

Zusammenfassung

This study aims to analyse the effect of previous foreign language (FL) contact on the acquisition of receptive and productive vocabulary by senior learners in the early stages of English acquisition. Additionally, we also explore the relationship between receptive vocabulary and productive vocabulary as well as the link between lexical competence and reading comprehension. Results confirm that false beginners consistently outperform true beginners, supporting previous research findings (Fukai, 2000; Watt, 1997). Receptive and productive vocabulary were found to be positively correlated, which indicates a direct relationship between the passive and the active knowledge of FL vocabulary. In agreement with previous research (Agustín Llach and Terrazas Gallego, 2009; Laufer, 1992; Quian, 2002), we found a positive correlation between senior learners� lexical competence and their reading comprehension.