ABSTRACT
This chapter places the development of lexical knowledge in the wider context of second language acquisition. It first discusses what constitutes input for vocabulary acquisition and how the nature of L2 learners’ comprehension and attentional processes constrain the expansion of vocabulary knowledge from the input. Next it presents various theories of the encoding of lexical knowledge in long-term memory. The chapter argues that vocabulary development is a complex process in which various input conditions and characteristics interact with factors influencing the allocation of learners’ attention to lexical items and comprehension processes. Building on these arguments, the chapter concludes with suggestions for future directions for a closer integration of vocabulary research and second language acquisition theories.
