Receptive vocabulary size estimates for general and academic vocabulary at a multi-campus Australian university
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21458426 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Clarence Green (0000-0003-3463-141X, Federation University Australia), Melania Pantelich (0000-0002-0982-8010, Federation University Australia), Michael Barrow (0000-0002-9000-0543, Federation University Australia), Daya Weerasinghe (0000-0002-9449-1052, Federation University Australia), Rachel Daniel (0000-0002-1415-8314, Federation University Australia) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 153-173 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0155-0640 • E-ISSN: 1833-7139 |
| Publisher | John Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1075/aral.21099.gre |
| OpenAlex | W4379876507 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 35 |
There are few published estimates of vocabulary sizes amongst students in tertiary education. Research does not offer estimates of the vocabulary size tertiary students might be expected to possess, though estimates exist for K-12 education, some EFL contexts, and the general population. Such research is important. For reading comprehension during tertiary education, a vocabulary of minimally 10,000 words is recommended, along with proficiency in academic vocabulary. A recent study of three universities in the United Kingdom concluded pedagogical intervention was required, since estimates indicated undergraduates knew fewer than 10,000 words. A subsequent study of a New Zealand university found students knew 16,000 words and pedagogical intervention was not required. The current study investigates 433 tertiary students at an Australian university to determine if students required vocabulary support. It contributes to a research record allowing for comparisons internationally, nationally, and over time. Methods employed included the Vocabulary Size Test/VST and Academic Vocabulary Test/AVT. Results indicate an average vocabulary size of 16,117 words, with academic vocabulary well-known
Academic year · Higher education · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Political science · Population · Reading comprehension · Sociology · Teaching method · Vocabulary · Vocabulary development · Demography · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development · Second Language Acquisition and Learning · Text Readability and Simplification
Comparison of reading performance on screen and on paper
The creation and validation of a listening vocabulary levels test
How Many Words Do We Know? Practical Estimates of Vocabulary Size Dependent on Word Definition, the Degree of Language Input and the Participant’s Age
The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and L2 reading/listening comprehension
How Large a Vocabulary is Needed For Reading and Listening?
Vocabulary Development
Estimating root word vocabulary growth in normative and advantaged populations
A New Academic Vocabulary List
The updated Vocabulary Levels Test
The Coming Paradigm Shift in the Use of Lexical Units
What the Research Shows About Written Receptive Vocabulary Testing
Limitations of Size and Levels Tests of Written Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge
Estimates of individual differences in vocabulary size in English
The oral language productive vocabulary profile of children starting school
Vocabulary size revisited
Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents
Using confidence intervals to determine adequate item sample sizes for vocabulary tests
Predicting L2 reading proficiency with modalities of vocabulary knowledge
The relationship of four variants of the Vocabulary Size Test to a criterion measure of meaning recall vocabulary knowledge
Moving the field of vocabulary assessment forward
How much vocabulary is needed to use English? Replication of van Zeeland & Schmitt (2012), Nation (2006) and Cobb (2007)
A New Academic Word List
Is “I Don't Know” a Viable Answer Choice on the Vocabulary Size Test
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |