Expansion of EFL Academic Vocabulary for Writing via Web-Enhanced Lexical Instruction

Abstract

Using web-enhanced lexical instruction based on the Academic Word List in an EFL course, we explored the effects of an eight-week vocabulary intervention (Coxhead, 2000) on the development of twenty-five EFL learners' lexical and writing abilities. Three instructional features were included: (a) explicit academic vocabulary lessons (wordlists, weekly lecture notes and reading) plus concordancing practice, (b) online quizzes, and (c) pair writing and individual lexical logs. Measurement included a vocabulary size test and depth test plus a timed writing task administered before and after the instruction; four weeks after the instruction, the writing task and a questionnaire were given. The results indicate that the learners increased their lexical depth but not the size after the instruction. In the Lexical Frequency Profile analyses of the writing tasks, the learners used more academic words accurately in post-instructional writing compared with their entry level. Positive correlations were found between the learners' post-instructional lexical and writing performances. We believe that web-enhanced lexical instruction is promising in expanding learners' academic productive vocabulary. With advancement in academic vocabulary in writing, EFL learners' academic literacy can be promoted so that they can fully participate in the academic community later.