Do Very Advanced Users of English Accurately Assess Their Own Lexical Knowledge

The ultimate goal of second or foreign language learning, albeit one which remains elusive for many learners, is to be able to use the language in an authentic context. In terms of reading, perhaps the largest impediment to understanding authentic texts, certainly once the rudiments of grammar have been acquired, is an adequate knowledge of vocabulary. In order to compensate for this, learners need to be able to look up unknown words, or infer (or guess) meaning from context. However, learners have to be able to accurately assess their own lexical knowledge in order to know which words to focus on in this way. Building on an earlier study by Laufer and Yano (2001), I argue that, although better able to do so than slightly lower proficiency learners, even very advanced users of English tend to overestimate their own lexical knowledge when viewing items in context. This implies that guessing or inferring from context alone should not be relied on as a strategy for dealing with unfamiliar vocabulary. In pedagogical terms, this suggests that a program of extensive reading should be integrated with and conducted alongside intensive reading and direct vocabulary study.