Abstract

This study investigates Kuwaiti learners’ use of English Word Associations. The issue of how second language (L2) learners structure their lexical knowledge has been of interest to L2 researchers for decades. However, the role of language proficiency in determining qualitative and quantitative features of lexical knowledge is unexplored. This study replicates Zareva (2007); therefore, the word association test used is the same. For this purpose, 40 Kuwait University students were distributed into two clusters according to their language aptitude levels. In addition, another set of five native speakers of English was tested to compare the organisation of word association of the Kuwaiti speakers to the organisation of word association of the native speakers of English. The method involved a written vocabulary test consisting of 76 different word items where subjects were asked to select the suitable answer out of 4 possible answers related to the given word’s meaning and think of three possible words to associate with the given word. Results showed consistency with Zareva’s findings and suggest that variations in lexical knowledge organisation involving native speakers and L2 learners are quantitative instead of qualitative.

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