ELTWeekly Vol. 5 Issue#32 | September 2, 2013 | ISSN 0975-3036
Abstract
This study investigates the vocabulary learning opportunities in an ELT course book designed for upper-intermediate learners. All the words appearing in the 12 chapters of the text were analyzed. The results suggest that the text would provide opportunities to deepen knowledge of the second 1,000 most frequent words in English, and would provide a context for pre-teaching of academic words met in the text for learners on an academic pathway. The results also suggest that the text would provide minimal opportunities for learners to develop vocabulary knowledge beyond high frequency and academic words. The findings demonstrate a need to supplement use of such texts with an extensive reading program and other forms of language rich input to promote vocabulary development. (Contains 5 tables.)
Keywords: English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Reading Programs, Vocabulary Development, Linguistic Input, Second Language Instruction, Teaching Methods, Textbooks