Addressing the vocabulary learning burden in L2 French: Factors guiding vocabulary selection in French textbooks

Abstract Ten beginning‐ and intermediate‐level French textbooks were examined to determine which factors most influence authors' selection of vocabulary to be learned explicitly. Word frequency, imageability, concreteness, and use of lexical sets were examined, as these factors were shown in previous research to either facilitate or inhibit lexical acquisition. Findings indicate that beginning‐level textbooks included more high‐frequency vocabulary, but that all textbooks fell woefully short of ensuring that learners are exposed to the 2000 most frequent words in French. Furthermore, no progression to less frequent or imageable/concrete vocabulary was discernible in moving from beginning to intermediate levels, nor was there any noticeable recycling of vocabulary that may present a higher learning burden. Lexical sets, known to inhibit vocabulary acquisition, appeared to be the predominant factor guiding vocabulary selection in the textbooks examined. Implications for teaching and for materials creation will be addressed.