{"id":{"repo_id":"exeter","oai_identifier":"oai:figshare.com:article/31346932"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/exeter/oai:figshare.com:article/31346932","repository":{"repo_id":"exeter","name":"University of Exeter","base_url":"https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai"},"display":{"title":"An Investigation into L2 Lexical Proficiency of Norwegian Secondary Learners","abstract":"This thesis explores lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing across different year groups and writing genres. Given the intricate nature of lexical proficiency, this thesis investigates lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing through one of its dimensions, which is lexical diversity. This dimension is addressed from the multivariate perspective, based on Jarvis’s (2013a, 2013b) reconceptualization. Six dimensions of lexical diversity were under examination, namely volume, variability, rarity, dispersion, evenness, and semantic disparity. Rarity in this study was examined based on the frequency information from three registers, which are general (i.e. frequency per million words), academic, and fiction. A total of 739 texts responding to 110 writing tasks in three genres (i.e. narrative, descriptive, opinion) written by 136 Norwegian learners of English from Year 8 to Year 11 were under investigation for lexical proficiency. The thesis aims to examine the extent that lexical proficiency, as measured through lexical diversity, is different in young L2 learner writing over time and across genres. Four major findings were drawn from this study. First, there was a significant difference across year groups and genres in most dimensions of lexical diversity, namely volume, variability, rarity by types based on general frequency, rarity by tokens and by types based on academic/fiction frequency, evenness, and dispersion. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found across year groups and genres in rarity by tokens based on general frequency, and no significant difference was identified across genres in semantic disparity. Second, robust developments were consistently found from Year 10 to Year 11 in descriptive writing (i.e. volume, dispersion, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity) and in opinion writing (i.e. variability, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity). Third, narrative genre was found to be significantly different from descriptive and opinion genre in volume, variability, rarity based on academic and fiction frequency, dispersion, and semantic disparity. Finally, dimensions of lexical diversity were found to have significant yet low degree of dependence on each other, implying the need to consider lexical diversity a multivariate phenomenon. This thesis provides theoretical and methodological implications for the examination and understanding of lexical proficiency through the multidimensional lexical diversity. Moreover, pedagogical implications are also proposed to promote L2 learners’ lexical proficiency in their writing.<p></p>","abstract_html":"This thesis explores lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing across different year groups and writing genres. Given the intricate nature of lexical proficiency, this thesis investigates lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing through one of its dimensions, which is lexical diversity. This dimension is addressed from the multivariate perspective, based on Jarvis’s (2013a, 2013b) reconceptualization. Six dimensions of lexical diversity were under examination, namely volume, variability, rarity, dispersion, evenness, and semantic disparity. Rarity in this study was examined based on the frequency information from three registers, which are general (i.e. frequency per million words), academic, and fiction. A total of 739 texts responding to 110 writing tasks in three genres (i.e. narrative, descriptive, opinion) written by 136 Norwegian learners of English from Year 8 to Year 11 were under investigation for lexical proficiency. The thesis aims to examine the extent that lexical proficiency, as measured through lexical diversity, is different in young L2 learner writing over time and across genres. Four major findings were drawn from this study. First, there was a significant difference across year groups and genres in most dimensions of lexical diversity, namely volume, variability, rarity by types based on general frequency, rarity by tokens and by types based on academic/fiction frequency, evenness, and dispersion. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found across year groups and genres in rarity by tokens based on general frequency, and no significant difference was identified across genres in semantic disparity. Second, robust developments were consistently found from Year 10 to Year 11 in descriptive writing (i.e. volume, dispersion, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity) and in opinion writing (i.e. variability, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity). Third, narrative genre was found to be significantly different from descriptive and opinion genre in volume, variability, rarity based on academic and fiction frequency, dispersion, and semantic disparity. Finally, dimensions of lexical diversity were found to have significant yet low degree of dependence on each other, implying the need to consider lexical diversity a multivariate phenomenon. This thesis provides theoretical and methodological implications for the examination and understanding of lexical proficiency through the multidimensional lexical diversity. Moreover, pedagogical implications are also proposed to promote L2 learners’ lexical proficiency in their writing.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Thi Kieu Trinh Dinh (21043517)"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-02-16T00:00:00Z","date_published":"2026-02-16T00:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:34:27Z","subjects":["lexical proficiency","lexical diversity","L2 learner writing","genres"],"languages":[],"rights":["All rights reserved"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10779/exe.31346932.v1"],"render_values":[{"text":"10779/exe.31346932.v1","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Thi Kieu Trinh Dinh (21043517)"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2026-02-16T00:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/An_Investigation_into_L2_Lexical_Proficiency_of_Norwegian_Secondary_Learners/31346932"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text","Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["lexical proficiency","lexical diversity","L2 learner writing","genres"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["All rights reserved"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10779/exe.31346932.v1"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["This thesis explores lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing across different year groups and writing genres. Given the intricate nature of lexical proficiency, this thesis investigates lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing through one of its dimensions, which is lexical diversity. This dimension is addressed from the multivariate perspective, based on Jarvis’s (2013a, 2013b) reconceptualization. Six dimensions of lexical diversity were under examination, namely volume, variability, rarity, dispersion, evenness, and semantic disparity. Rarity in this study was examined based on the frequency information from three registers, which are general (i.e. frequency per million words), academic, and fiction. A total of 739 texts responding to 110 writing tasks in three genres (i.e. narrative, descriptive, opinion) written by 136 Norwegian learners of English from Year 8 to Year 11 were under investigation for lexical proficiency. The thesis aims to examine the extent that lexical proficiency, as measured through lexical diversity, is different in young L2 learner writing over time and across genres. Four major findings were drawn from this study. First, there was a significant difference across year groups and genres in most dimensions of lexical diversity, namely volume, variability, rarity by types based on general frequency, rarity by tokens and by types based on academic/fiction frequency, evenness, and dispersion. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found across year groups and genres in rarity by tokens based on general frequency, and no significant difference was identified across genres in semantic disparity. Second, robust developments were consistently found from Year 10 to Year 11 in descriptive writing (i.e. volume, dispersion, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity) and in opinion writing (i.e. variability, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity). Third, narrative genre was found to be significantly different from descriptive and opinion genre in volume, variability, rarity based on academic and fiction frequency, dispersion, and semantic disparity. Finally, dimensions of lexical diversity were found to have significant yet low degree of dependence on each other, implying the need to consider lexical diversity a multivariate phenomenon. This thesis provides theoretical and methodological implications for the examination and understanding of lexical proficiency through the multidimensional lexical diversity. Moreover, pedagogical implications are also proposed to promote L2 learners’ lexical proficiency in their writing.<p></p>"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Investigation into L2 Lexical Proficiency of Norwegian Secondary Learners"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Thi Kieu Trinh Dinh (21043517)"],"dc:date":["2026-02-16T00:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["This thesis explores lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing across different year groups and writing genres. Given the intricate nature of lexical proficiency, this thesis investigates lexical proficiency in L2 learner writing through one of its dimensions, which is lexical diversity. This dimension is addressed from the multivariate perspective, based on Jarvis’s (2013a, 2013b) reconceptualization. Six dimensions of lexical diversity were under examination, namely volume, variability, rarity, dispersion, evenness, and semantic disparity. Rarity in this study was examined based on the frequency information from three registers, which are general (i.e. frequency per million words), academic, and fiction. A total of 739 texts responding to 110 writing tasks in three genres (i.e. narrative, descriptive, opinion) written by 136 Norwegian learners of English from Year 8 to Year 11 were under investigation for lexical proficiency. The thesis aims to examine the extent that lexical proficiency, as measured through lexical diversity, is different in young L2 learner writing over time and across genres. Four major findings were drawn from this study. First, there was a significant difference across year groups and genres in most dimensions of lexical diversity, namely volume, variability, rarity by types based on general frequency, rarity by tokens and by types based on academic/fiction frequency, evenness, and dispersion. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found across year groups and genres in rarity by tokens based on general frequency, and no significant difference was identified across genres in semantic disparity. Second, robust developments were consistently found from Year 10 to Year 11 in descriptive writing (i.e. volume, dispersion, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity) and in opinion writing (i.e. variability, rarity by tokens and by types based on general/fiction register, and semantic disparity). Third, narrative genre was found to be significantly different from descriptive and opinion genre in volume, variability, rarity based on academic and fiction frequency, dispersion, and semantic disparity. Finally, dimensions of lexical diversity were found to have significant yet low degree of dependence on each other, implying the need to consider lexical diversity a multivariate phenomenon. This thesis provides theoretical and methodological implications for the examination and understanding of lexical proficiency through the multidimensional lexical diversity. Moreover, pedagogical implications are also proposed to promote L2 learners’ lexical proficiency in their writing.<p></p>"],"dc:identifier":["10779/exe.31346932.v1"],"dc:relation":["https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/An_Investigation_into_L2_Lexical_Proficiency_of_Norwegian_Secondary_Learners/31346932"],"dc:rights":["All rights reserved"],"dc:subject":["lexical proficiency","lexical diversity","L2 learner writing","genres"],"dc:title":["An Investigation into L2 Lexical Proficiency of Norwegian Secondary Learners"],"dc:type":["Text","Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:34:27Z"}