This talk explores the vocabulary knowledge that supports reading and writing at the undergraduate level. Initial thresholds for breadth of vocabulary knowledge are examined before identifying the number of word families that tend to accompany a fuller engagement with the demands of undergraduate reading and writing. Examples from university textbooks and student writing are provided to give participants a sense of what the thresholds look like in practice. Attendees of this session will leave with ideas connected to the number of word families that facilitate students engaging with the initial reading and writing demands of higher education. The implications of the proposed vocabulary levels are discussed along a review of instructional strategies that can be used across different disciplines to support students from language backgrounds other than English while also promoting vocabulary development for all learners regardless of language background.

Biography:

Scott Roy Douglas is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. His research focuses on the teaching and learning of English as an additional language. He is also the editor of the BC TEAL Journal.