A corpus-based environmental academic word list building and its validity test. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Jia; Han, Lina
• Is Part Of: English for specific purposes. Volume 39(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 11
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: AWL -- Word selection criteria -- Validity test; English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- Periodicals; English language -- Business English -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; English language -- Technical English -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Anglais (Langue) -- Étude et enseignement -- Allophones -- Périodiques; Enseignement professionnel -- Périodiques; Anglais (Langue) -- Anglais commercial -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Anglais (Langue) -- Anglais technique -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; English language -- Business English -- Study and teaching; English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers; English language -- Technical English -- Study and teaching; Periodicals; 428.007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.esp.2015.03.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0889-4906

Abstract

Abstract: This study discusses the necessity of creating field-specific academic word lists and seeks to establish the compilation criteria and the validity test criteria for field-specific academic word lists. These three aspects are explored with reference to an environmental science corpus. The results indicate that the Academic Word List (AWL) (Coxhead, 2000) is not entirely useful for environmental science learners because of the narrow coverage of some word families and the shortage of frequently used environmental academic words. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a field-specific word list that better reflects specialized features. Referring to Juilland's 'usage' (Juilland & Chang-Rodríguez, 1964), this study proposes 'optimized usage' to determine whether words should be included in an academic word list. It also establishes the first academic word list for environmental science, the Environmental Academic Word List (EAWL). Moreover, the list's validity test criteria are established by way of coverage comparison and hypothesis testing. The EAWL established in this study aims to be maximally useful for environmental science learners. Highlights: The poor distribution of some AWL word families makes it necessary to establish a field-specific word list. This study uses optimized usage as one of the word selection criteria. The study establishes the first academic word list for environmental science. The study proposes validity test criteria for academic word lists. The EAWL is more suitable than the AWL for environmental academic vocabulary learning.