Comprised of eight research-based chapters and one book review, this volume brings together a compelling and unique array of research studies on two topics of ongoing interest to second language (L2) professionals. The volume opens with three L2 writing studies, the first two of which draw from the same investigation of university and preuniversity English as a second language (ESL) writers. The first chapter, “Activity Systems for ESL Writing Improvement: Case Studies of Three Chinese and Three Japanese Adult Learners Of English,” is co-authored by Yang, Baba, and Cumming. Using an activity theory framework, the researchers explore writers' perceptions of their learning intentions, crosslinguistic relationships, vocabulary, grammar, and the role of instruction in promoting their L2 composing skills. As the participants progressed in their ESL writing development, their activity systems evolved as a function of the interaction between external factors and internal predispositions. In the second chapter, “Scaling Changes in Learners' Goals for Writing Improvement over an ESL Course,” Cumming, Eouanzoui, Gentil, and Yang report on an analysis of interviews conducted with 45 preuniversity ESL writers. Their method featured dual scaling, which showed that participants' short- and long-term goals as students and writers remained stable over time, although the actions taken by students to improve their writing reflected individual learning styles.
The third chapter features a study of five Danish English as a foreign language (EFL) writers at three educational levels. In “Attention to Argumentation in Learner Text Production: How Do We Capture Learner Ability in Argumentation?” authors Albrechtsen, Haastrup, and Henriksen compare participants' performance on restricted and unrestricted composing tasks while engaged in verbal reports. The researchers conclude that, despite limitations imposed by restricted writing prompts, verbal protocols yield valuable insights into students' development as argumentative writers.
The volume shifts to questions that pertain to vocabulary acquisition in “Metaphorical Competence and the L2 Learner,” a review chapter in which Ciešlicka and Singleton argue that theoretically driven investigations of metaphorical language can illuminate L2 learning processes and generate applications to L2 instructional practice. In particular, the authors claim that raising consciousness “about the conceptual motivation of linguistic metaphors … leads to improved performance in the processing and retention of … metaphors” (p. 80). The fifth chapter, “V-links: Beyond Vocabulary Depth,” likewise addresses a theoretical issue, namely the commonplace distinction between vocabulary breadth and vocabulary depth. Drawing on their own empirical research, Meara and Wolter persuasively argue for replacing these constructs with vocabulary size and vocabulary organization, respectively.
Also a review chapter, “Second Language Reading and Incidental Vocabulary Learning” surveys state-of-the-art research on the relationships between L2 reading and incidental lexical acquisition. In their survey, Waring and Nation challenge the long-held view that L2 learners build their vocabulary “from their reading,” noting that “the returns are somewhat low” (p. 101). Observing that most research in this vein fails to address long-term vocabulary retention, the authors suggest that future research and pedagogy should focus on vocabulary coverage, repetition, and decay.
Co-authored by Haastrup, Albrechtsen, and Henriksen, the seventh entry in this volume, “Lexical Inferencing Processes in L1 and L2: Same or Different?” reports the results of a study of adolescent and adult Danish EFL learners, with an emphasis on methodological features. This investigation targets interactions among composing processes, lexical inferencing, and vocabulary knowledge. On the basis of comparisons across participant groups, the researchers point out that the impact of these interactions varies by participants' educational level, the language of the task (first language or L2), task type, and the lexical contents of the task. The final chapter in the volume, “The Relationship Between Vocabulary Size and Reading Comprehension in the L2,” examines the links between L2 vocabulary size and L2 reading comprehension among secondary and postsecondary EFL students in Denmark. Congruent with previous L2 vocabulary research, outcomes reveal a strong correlation between L2 vocabulary size and L2 reading performance. Researchers Henriksen, Albrechtsen, and Haastrup propose that, in addition to vocabulary size, variables such as lexical inferencing and the organizational structure of the emergent lexicon constitute a probability zone wherein likely increases in L2 reading proficiency can be predicted.
Concluding with a substantial book review, this volume presents a surprisingly unified collection of empirically and theoretically grounded chapters on L2 writing and lexical development, many of which include work by recognized experts. The currency and novelty of the scholarship contained in this slim volume should inform and appeal to L2 researchers and educators alike.
