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CONCEPTUALIZING L2 VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE

AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THE DIMENSIONALITY OF WORD KNOWLEDGE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2022

Beatriz González-Fernández Open the ORCID record for Beatriz González-Fernández [Opens in a new window]
Beatriz González-Fernández*
Affiliation:
University of Sheffield, UK
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: B.Gonzalez-Fernandez@sheffield.ac.uk
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Abstract

The multidimensional conceptualization of vocabulary knowledge has been extraordinarily influential in lexical research. Yet, the few studies that have empirically explored the structure of word knowledge conflict regarding its multidimensionality. The present study examines the nature of L2 vocabulary knowledge by exploring how the hypothesized word-knowledge dimensions fit together across different L2 learner groups. A total of 314 EFL learners from two dissimilar L1 backgrounds (Chinese n = 170; Spanish n = 144) were assessed using eight vocabulary measures testing recognition and recall knowledge of form-meaning, collocations, multiple meanings, and derivatives. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that vocabulary knowledge behaves as a unidimensional construct for each learner group individually. Simultaneous multigroup CFA confirmed that this unidimensional model holds invariant across the two groups regardless of their distinct L1s. These findings provide empirical evidence for the unidimensionality of vocabulary knowledge in a second language, indicating the need to refine the conceptualization of the construct.

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Type
Research Article
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Studies in Second Language Acquisition , Volume 44 , Issue 4 , September 2022 , pp. 1124 - 1154
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© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

I would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers and the handling editor for their insightful and constructive comments on previous versions of this manuscript.

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