Investigating Potential Relationships between Vocabulary Knowledge and Writing

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00834
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Fraser Simon 広島大学, 外国語教育研究センター, 教授 (10403510)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): CLENTON JONATHAN 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(総), 准教授 (80762434) ; CLINGWALL DION 県立広島大学, 公私立大学の部局等(庄原キャンパス), 准教授 (80737669) ; TANABE JULIA 広島大学, 外国語教育研究センター, 助教 (90868233)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Writing / Vocabulary knowledge / Lexical diversity / Vocabulary tasks / IELTS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our research provides important insights into the impact of vocabulary knowledge on L2 writing. The study included four experiments (three cross-sectional and one longitudinal) and employed a variety of vocabulary tasks. The findings shed light on three main areas of vocabulary knowledge assessment: (1) the extent to which vocabulary knowledge scores can forecast vocabulary usage in writing tasks among participants with varying proficiency levels; (2) how these scores can differentiate participant writing scores; and (3) the relationship between vocabulary knowledge scores and written output in tracking vocabulary acquisition.

Free Research Field

Applied linguistics

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

The results of our study emphasize the dynamic relationship between vocabulary knowledge and written production. The implications of the findings, which are significant for L2 writing instruction and vocabulary knowledge assessment, provide a strong foundation for future research.