This work explores the development of both general and domain-specific academic vocabulary among a sample of 36 secondary school students and 51 higher education students. To achieve this, a lexical measurement instrument was applied that evaluates various aspects of the depth of knowledge of academic vocabulary, including meaning, concordances, derived words, and polysemy. Eight words were assessed, four from general academic vocabulary and four from the domain-specific academic vocabulary of mathematics and natural sciences. The results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in their depth of knowledge regarding academic vocabulary, along with varied performance levels in both general and domain-specific academic words. These findings suggest that disciplinary training enhances knowledge of domain-specific academic vocabulary and underscores the importance of explicitly teaching general vocabulary for overall linguistic development.
Colicheo, C. (2026). Exploratory study of general and domain-specific academic vocabulary in secondary and higher education students. Lenguas Modernas, (66), 11–35. Retrieved from https://lenguasmodernas.uchile.cl/index.php/LM/article/view/82989
