In Search of New Benchmarks: Using L2 Lexical Frequency and Contextual Diversity Indices to Assess Second Language Writing

Lexical items that are encountered more frequently and in varying contexts have important effects on second language (L2) development because frequent and contextually diverse words are learned faster and become more entrenched in a learner’s lexicon (Ellis 2002a, b). Despite evidence that L2 learners are generally exposed to non-native input, most frequency and contextual diversity metrics used in L2 research represent what is produced by...