The Effect of Word Class on Lexical Development in L2 : The Case of Japanese EFL Adult Learners

概要

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The study compared the effect of systematic, explicit vocabulary instruction on the acquisition of word meaning and collocations for nouns, verbs and adjectives. Data were collected from 18 high-intermediate level Japanese students of English. The findings suggest that word class may be one of the factors in the acquisition and availability of lexical items for productive purposes. In both receptive and productive tests of word knowledge, nouns were found to have a clear advantage over the other two classes. Adjectives were acquired more easily than verbs. Some collocation sequences were found to be under-represented in learners' lexicons. Possible explanations for these patterns are reviewed and the pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed.