Abstract
Studies in lexical diversity have shown an approximate relationship with learner instruction. Learners with more L2 instruction tend to display less repetition of words and so greater lexical diversity. However, at higher L2 levels of proficiency this relationship does not always occur. This study examines the lexical diversity scores in L2 texts. Lexical diversity scores are examined in relationship to a learning style framework of memory and analysis. The results show that variance in analytic ability scores can account for a proportion of variance in lexical diversity. It was also found that the type of writing task also affects lexical diversity. These results suggest that learners who are more grammatically able may be more likely to restructure their language. The findings illuminate
Dynamic Systems Theory; in particular, how lexical diversity is shaped to some extent by differences within individuals and task conditions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 357-375 |
| Journal | EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2014 |
Bibliographical note
Impact: The impact will be on teaching and learning. In particular the article highlights how context influences second language vocabulary production. This can impact on international language testing businesses such as IELTS (International English Language Testing System) because it shows that under different writing conditions learners' vocabulary production varies. This variability has an impact on how their writing will be graded.Keywords
- Linguistics
- learning style
- lexical diversity
- variance