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Project Details:
Principal Investigators on this project:
Michael, Erica B.
Enhancing Lexical Competence
The Vocabulary of High Performers
Project Objective: To investigate and improve lexical competence in high-level language users.
Project Definition:
- A lexicon is a mental dictionary. Lexical competence involves learning and using vocabulary. More than just knowledge of a large number of words, other important features of lexical competence include knowledge of:
- multiple meanings of words, including unusual and technical meanings;
- the various contexts in which words can be used; and
- idioms, slang, humor, and culturally specific words.
Project Importance:
- Professional language proficiency is not possible without high-level lexical competence. A hallmark of high-level language ability is a fully elaborated, rapidly accessible lexicon.
- Students are taught vocabulary in the classroom
- But they are not taught strategies for developing a high-level lexicon on the job.
Project Background:
- Even at high levels of language proficiency, linguists often encounter unknown vocabulary.
- Dictionaries do not always provide sufficient information to fully understand unfamiliar words.
- For example, it may be difficult for a linguist to learn the precise meaning of a scientific term that s/he does not understand in English.
Project Products: Research Agenda: Assessing, understanding, and improving lexical competence in high-level language users.
Project Reports:
Project Activities:
CASL will:
- interview highly proficient linguists who work in Chinese and Arabic
- hold a focus group with USG foreign language leaders and practitioners
In order to identify:
- difficulties encountered in learning and using work-related vocabulary
- strategies and resources used to overcome these difficulties
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