Using Texts To Sequence the Introduction of New Vocabulary in an Eap Course

Abstract

This paper examines the feasibility of allowing the texts that are used in a course to sequence the target vocabulary of a course, in this paper the vocabulary of academic study as represented by the University Word List. It was found that such an approach would only allow the learners to meet a little over half of the 836 word vocabulary and that a three-step sequencing procedure would be needed to effectively meet all of the wanted vocabulary. The three steps would involve (1) using adapted texts to gradually introduce the very common academic words, (2) using unsimplified texts to meet the next 200-300 words, and (3) relying on extensive reading and planned decontextualised learning to meet the remaining lower frequency items.

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