Vocabulary and English for Specific Purposes Research - Averil Coxhead 2018

Limitations of research into specialised vocabulary in ESP
Vocabulary research and ESP

There has been little published research on integrating specialised vocabulary into EAP and ESP classes, and testing research in this area is also lacking (Schmitt & Hamp-Lyons, 2015). The exception is professional purposes research, such as Aviation and Medicine, where specialised vocabulary could be either integrated with content or a discrete section in a test.

The two frameworks presented in this chapter, the Four Strands from Nation (2007) and the Involvement Load Hypothesis (Hulstijn & Laufer, 2001), provide a structure for decisions and critical thinking about the organisation of learning. However, the teaching and learning side of specialised formulaic language lacks theoretical underpinning (Granger, 1998), much like vocabulary research in general (Schmitt, 2010). This chapter has also highlighted the comparative lack of testing research on specialised vocabulary and any context apart from limited efforts in some professions.