Vocabulary is one of the most essential components for success in learning a second language (L2) (Nation, Reference Nation2001; Schmitt, Reference Schmitt2000). It has often been stated that vocabulary learning is an incremental or continuum process. To make this process smoother and more effective, Schmitt (Reference Schmitt2008) encourages four partners in this enterprise (i.e., researchers, teachers, materials writers, and students) to work hand in hand. With such a goal in mind, this edited volume has been put together to explore what is known about L2 vocabulary so far and how it can be researched. The title of the book claims that it is for vocabulary teaching and learning, but some of the chapters have relatively little to do with vocabulary instruction. Thus, the focus of this review will be the seven articles that are especially pertinent to vocabulary teaching and learning.
In chapter 1 of this 13-chapter volume, the editors give an overview, discuss a brief history of L2 vocabulary instruction in general, and propose coordination among linguists, SLA researchers, psychologists, and neurobiologists to push the field of L2 vocabulary further. In chapter 2, Laufer addresses the issues of word-focused instruction by illustrating the differences among incidental focus on form, incidental focus on forms, and intentional focus on forms. She argues that regardless of their differences in nature, they all can have advantages and disadvantages. In chapter 3, Schmitt lists six teaching strategies that have been extensively discussed in other seminal literature in L2 vocabulary (Nation, Reference Nation2001; Schmitt, Reference Schmitt2000) and provides useful teacher-friendly suggestions.
Lopéz-Soto, in chapter 7, investigates how phonological activation can function to tap into lexical patterns at production and reception levels for L2 learners. She claims that phonologically related words help activate retrieval faster than rhythmically or semantically related words. This result does not, however, corroborate the suggestions provided by Schmitt (chapter 3), who believes that teaching words that are phonologically, orthographically, and semantically similar is ineffective. In chapter 8, Allan examines whether using a data-driven learning approach (e.g., using a corpus) will be as useful as dictionary use for gaining vocabulary depth in learning new lexical items. In her study, although the data-driven group made greater vocabulary gains, the lower-proficiency learners did not make consistent use of the corpus. Instead, they decided to use learner dictionaries to enhance their word knowledge, because the information presented was below their vocabulary threshold.
Chapters 10 and 11 have similar goals, as both investigate the absence of certain types of vocabulary instruction (e.g., vocabulary strategies, multiword coverage) in language textbooks. In chapter 10, Lawley states that not only do English textbooks for native speakers of Spanish fail to cover words from the frequency lists (e.g., 2,000, 3,000, Academic Word List) but the reviewed textbooks also do not give any information about the presence of the frequency lists. Lawley believes that the frequency lists need to be translated into learners’ first language to promote effective vocabulary learning and teaching. In chapter 11, López-Jimenez does an in-depth analysis of the use of multiword items (e.g., collocations) in 24 textbooks designed to teach English and Spanish to speakers of other languages. The textbook analysis revealed that despite all the L2 vocabulary research, the pedagogical implications of the research studies are only partially reflected in the textbooks. These two chapters corroborate the editors’ statement of the seeming “gap between research and its application to teaching materials” (p. 6).
The overarching message derived from these chapters is that vocabulary learning is a continuous and incremental process and thus needs to be taught carefully using effective strategies. Additionally, vocabulary strategies will work whether a teacher’s instruction is implicit, explicit, or intentional by nature, and the learners will always benefit from vocabulary instruction for their lexical development. A number of the remaining chapters in the volume have innovative methodologies that are worth considering (see chapters 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, and 13). Those chapters will be more useful and informative for graduate students who are interested in researching the L2 lexicon, or for those who closely work with learner populations whose L2 is either Spanish or English.
