Milton James. Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition

MgH, 2009. — 280 p.Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition describes the effect that word frequency and lexical coverage have on learning and communication in a foreign language. It examines the tools we have for assessing the various facets of vocabulary knowledge, the scores these produce, and the way these are tied to exam and communicative performance.
Review.
This volume represents a much need update on issues in assessing vocabulary. It displays the empirical grounding and rigor that only an established scholar like James Milton can provide. A refreshing aspect of the book is that the author questions even the most basic preconceived notions that scholars and teacher practitioners might have about what it means to know a word and to assess this knowledge, and that he reports on the results of his inquiry in an honest and even-handed way. Andrew Cohen, Second Language Studies, University of Minnesota, USA.