The Relationship between Lexical Diversity and Genre in Iranian EFL Learners’ Writings

Abstract

The present study investigated whether lexical diversity is sensitive to genre in Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ writings. It also aimed at determining the relationship between learners’ writing quality and lexical diversity in different genres. To this end, 30 intermediate EFL learners, studying English at the Language Center of Urmia University, were asked to write essays in three genres: argumentative, narrative and descriptive. The writings were scored both holistically and analytically by the researchers and a trained rater, yielding an inter-rater reliability of 0.84. Subsequently, lexical diversity was measured using Richards and Malvern (1997) VocD model of lexical diversity. Results obtained through correlational analyses and one-way Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference between narrative and comparative, and also between narrative and argumentative genres in terms of lexical diversity. A positive relationship between lexical diversity and writing quality was found only in argumentative genre when scored analytically. The study may have implications for improving and predicting the quality of EFL learners’ writing.