Effect of L2 exposure, length of study, and L2 proficiency on EFL learners’ receptive knowledge of form–meaning connection and collocations of high-frequency words

High-frequency words are single-words at the first three 1,000-word frequency levels. No studies have explored the impact of current second language (L2) exposure, length of study, and L2 proficiency on the receptive knowledge of high-frequency words of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) from non-cognate first language (L1) background. To address this gap, this study used the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test and the Receptive Collocation Test to measure the receptive knowledge of form–meaning connection and collocations of high-frequency words of 201 Chinese EFL postgraduate students. It also surveyed these students’ amount of current L2 exposure, length of study, and L2 proficiency. The results showed that, on average, the participants had 20.22 hours of exposure to various types of L2 input per week in and out of class. A series of single linear mixed-effects model analyses revealed that their current L2 exposure and length of study did not seem to have an impact on their knowledge of form–meaning connection of high-frequency words nor their collocational knowledge of these words overall. Yet, L2 proficiency significantly affected their knowledge of form–meaning connection and collocations of the 1st 1,000 words. Knowledge of form–meaning connection also contributed to the collocational knowledge. Pedagogical implications for vocabulary researchers and practitioners were provided.