Dang, T.N.Y. orcid.org/0000-0002-3189-7776 and Webb, S. (2025) Applications of word lists in second language learning and teaching. Language Teaching: Surveys and Studies. ISSN 0261-4448
Abstract
Although word lists have generated a great deal of attention from researchers, there has been no comprehensive review of the applications of word lists in second language learning and teaching. This article reviews the development, validation, and applications of 50 word list studies that were published and discussed in major international peer-reviewed Applied Linguistics and TESOL journals from 2013 to 2023. It shows that the methodology of word list development and validation has become more sophisticated and word list developers can see many potential applications of their lists in research and pedagogy. However, most applications of recently developed word lists have been restricted to the BNC/COCA lists developed by Paul Nation, and little is known about the degree to which most word lists have been used in pedagogical contexts. Our review indicates several directions for future research on word lists, including exploring the impact of published lists on pedagogy, replicating word list studies for learners in underrepresented contexts, and developing sustainable, low-cost methods of developing word lists to allow teachers and learners to create lists serving their own needs.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. |
Keywords: | academic vocabulary; general service vocabulary; technical vocabulary; vocabulary; word lists |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Education (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 09 May 2025 09:48 |
Last Modified: | 16 Jun 2025 08:46 |
Published Version: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-t... |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S0261444825000059 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:226466 |
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