Writing Vocabulary Problems & Communication Strategies of L2 Learners

Despite the evidence that lack of vocabulary is what contributes to making writing in a foreign language most difficult, there is currently lack of research on how words get produced as the second language (L2) learner attempts to write in L2. These lexical gap problems will prompt writers to employ communication strategies (CS) which are procedural skills that learners use to overcome the inadequacies of their interlanguage resources (e.g. approximation, circumlocution, transfer, appeal for assistance). The literature on analyzing writing CS for solving communication gap problems in L2 writing has not been expanded as much as in studies with speaking tasks. The findings prompted the researcher to analyze the CS that are employed by second language university learners when writers try to solve their lexical gap problems, including what strategies to use when only word partially known. The results contribute to devising a psychologically plausible taxonomy that may help researchers and teachers to look into the often opaque and transient writing processes of L2 writers.

Yuah V. Chon received her PhD in Linguistics from University of Essex. Her main interests are vocabulary, including collocations, strategies in general with focus on second language writing, and user's perspective on dictionary use. She is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of English Education at Hanyang University, Seoul.