The CATESOL Journal

Though research has established a relationship between vocabulary knowledge and academic success and identified features to guide the L2 word learner through academic tasks (see Nation, 2013), less is known regarding student perceptions of academic vocabulary and the conscious decision-making process of these learners while they are writing. In this pilot case study, 9 advanced students at an Intensive English Program in California wrote an essay, completed a survey on vocabulary strategy use, and participated in an interview to illuminate lexical choices they had made in their compositions. The insights gleaned from these data were then analyzed for patterns, and 10 classroom applications were devised to help L2 academic writing teachers address the vocabulary needs of their students.