Investigating Productive Vocabulary Knowledge Development: A Task-Based Approach

This paper investigates the longitudinal development of productive vocabulary knowledge. I first build on an earlier model to conceptualize productive vocabulary knowledge, adding a commonly used productive vocabulary measure to the model. Second, I report productive vocabulary performance development from the measures examined in the first experiment. I respond to research calling for a development study that concurrently uses measures without inherent problems, is based on research representative of the measure, and employs an analysis of infrequent items. In a multi-task approach, I report that: (i) productive vocabulary development varies according to task and time; (ii) development is inconsistent within three (2k, 3k, and 5k) frequency bands for three productive vocabulary tasks; and, (iii) performance on the tasks varies according to second language proficiency. I discuss the dynamic nature of productive vocabulary and conclude by highlighting implications as well as several potential future approaches for vocabulary development research.