Word frequency and trends in the development of French vocabulary in lower-intermediate students during Year 12 in English schools

Abstract

This article reports research into the development of vocabulary in lower-intermediate level learners of French as a foreign language in Year 12 in 20 schools in the south of England. The focus of attention is the role of less common, or non-basic, vocabulary at a stage in students' learning when they have just moved to a much more advanced syllabus that makes particular demands on their vocabulary knowledge. Results from a test of receptive vocabulary and analyses of learners' writing confirm that the acquisition of less common vocabulary makes a major contribution to students' progress during their Year-12 course and that it is an important factor in individual differences in overall achievement. Evidence from longitudinal data shows that students make significant progress on both receptive and productive vocabulary over a period of two terms, but that in spite of this, students' perception of their own vocabulary knowledge declines between GSCE and AS-Level, a phenomenon attributable to the discontinuity between these two examination courses.