Vocabulary in a second language: Selection, acquisition, and testing: A commentary on four studies for JALT vocabulary SIG

Abstract

Four papers by Charles Browne, Rachael Ruegg & Cherie Brown, Makoto Yoshii and Junko Yamashita were presented in the morning session of the Third Annual JALT Vocabulary SIG Vocabulary Symposium in Fukuoka, Japan on June 14, 2014. As discussant, it is my pleasure to comment upon each manuscript. These lexical researchers originate from all over Japan: Tokyo, Akita, Kumamoto and Nagoya. Their lexical topics are related to three themes that are central to vocabulary research: selection, acquisition and testing. The papers are concerned with the types of words that should be selected for teaching, with the optimal conditions for vocabulary acquisition and with instruments that measure lexical proficiency, or are used in lexical research. After commenting on each paper in turn, I shall present a few suggestions for their future research.