The lexical richness of L2 written productions and the validity of vocabulary tests

ABSTRACT This study investigates the validity of second language vocabulary tests, and whether or not test scores accurately reflect the quality of language behavior in real-life situations. It attempts to prove the validity of vocabulary testing by comparing test scores to indices of vocabulary richness in second language production. The student subjects were assigned an essay on a designated topic. Their writing was measured by lexical analysis (lemmatization, text length, and word rareness). The essays of French students of English and of American students studying in France were compared. Results did not show text length to correlate with vocabulary richness. However, results indicated that a low, but significant, correlation existed between discrete-item test scores and lexical richness variables in each homogeneous group. (MSE)