i-lex v1 and v2: An improved method of assessing L2 learner ability to see connections between words?

Abstract

Knowing a word’s associations is considered an aspect of word knowledge. It follows that L2 learner ability to see connections between words may improve with gains in vocabulary knowledge. Word association tests (WATs) may measure not only learner ability to see links between words, but they may also assess the degree of organization of L2 learner lexical knowledge which plays a role in the development of lexical competence. The aim of this study is to develop a new WAT wherein learners are presented with the three most common associates of a cue word. The task is to supply the missing cue word. Following this format, a test was developed using sets of three cue words chosen from the fve most common associates to 50 target words (TWs) listed in the Edinburgh Associative Thesaurus, or EAT. Results of an initial study (i-lex v1) showed that, on average, a group of native speakers outperformed an experimental group of Japanese learners of English ranging in level from elementary to upper intermediate. Further, both in the initial study and a follow-up study (i-lex v2), signifcant and positive correlations were found among nonnative i-lex scores and a translation test. In i-lex v2, signifcant and positive correlations were also found among nonnative i-lex scores and the New Vocabulary Levels Test. These results indicate that the ability of these groups of participants to see links between highly frequent English words is related to their vocabulary knowledge.