Although vocabulary development, as such, is not a specific study skill, but relates to all language learning, it is given separate attention here. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, students usually want to increase their store of vocabulary, regarding it as a yardstick of their language improvement. ‘Vocabulary knowledge is the single most important area of second language competence’ regarding academic achievement (Saville-Troike 1984). Secondly, as it appears not to be a major area of concern in EAP courses (evidenced by the data in the survey looked at in Chapter 4), there is a tendency for it to become incidental to reading comprehension. The result is that it may be left to students' indirect learning, which may be inefficient.

Vocabulary development is of concern to all four language skills, but here it is treated as a link between reading and writing. This is partly for convenience, in that the printed word is more of a known quantity, and partly from convention, namely, that students and teachers are more familiar with its practice in the written mode. Clearly, however, there is transfer from one to the other. This chapter looks at some background studies and research into vocabulary acquisition, and explores the case for active involvement in vocabulary development.

Vocabulary learning and teaching relate to both reading, with its receptive understanding of language, and writing, with its productive use.