Doing Vocabulary Research

This state-of-the-art text is an introduction and how to guide for research in L2 vocabulary acquisition. Elke Peters defines key constructs in vocabulary, provides students and researchers with expert, comprehensive coverage of the latest quantitative and qualitative methods for second language vocabulary research – including advantages and disadvantages of each – and illustrates the techniques with concrete, representative studies.

Providing researchers with a clear, accessible entry point into the most widely used research methods in second language vocabulary studies, this book offers hands-on guidance for designing and conducting second language vocabulary research by helping researchers gain the tools to make decisions about the research design, vocabulary measures, data collection, and analysis. It also walks the reader through the step-by-step process of developing vocabulary lists and vocabulary tests.

With sample concrete examples and good practices, this book is an essential guide for anyone interested in setting up a second language vocabulary study, whether you are new to the field of vocabulary studies or looking to sharpen your skills. It will be an invaluable course and research resource for advanced students and researchers of SLA, applied linguistics, and TESOL.

Author Biography

Elke Peters is Professor of Applied Linguistics at KU Leuven, Belgium. Her primary research interests are second language vocabulary acquisition and out-of-school language learning. She has published in The Routledge Handbook of Vocabulary Studies, Language Learning, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, and Applied Linguistics. She is also the editor of the journal ITL-International Journal of Applied Linguistics.