INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Choose one from option 1-4 below. State clearly on the cover sheet which option you have chosen to
answer. Include a reference list in the standard form (APA) at the end of your answer. You should write
between 3,600 and 4,400 words. State the number of words in your answer, excluding words in the list
of references or words in tables or in examples, and insert page numbers. You may need to copy and
paste scans of texts and/or tasks in appendices at the end of your document. Submit an electronic copy,
using the Turnitin link provided for the option you chose, by the date specified on VITAL. Do not
duplicate material you have used in assessed work in any other module.
Each option asks you to show your understanding of a topic “with reference to the relevant research
literature”. More credit will be given for primary references (information taken directly from the author
of the source you read) to the literature in more authoritative sources, such as the following journals:
• English Language Teaching Journal
• Annual Review of Applied Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• International Journal of Applied Linguistics
• Language Teaching
• Language Teaching Research
• System
• TESOL Quarterly
• Journal of English for Academic Purposes
• English for Specific Purposes
or similar, and books by established publishers such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University
Press, Longmans, Routledge, Continuum, Multilingual Matters, or similar. If you use secondary sources
(information taken from an author of a source who quotes another source that you have not read)
include full details so that it is clear which author you read. Less credit will be given for many references
to different authors from one secondary source, or references to obscure and/or poor quality journals.
The number of references to include is your decision.
Each option asks you to consider “learners at levels and in teaching contexts you are familiar with” –
these could be students you have taught English to, or have helped to teach, or they could include
yourself as a learner of English. In your answers make it clear which learners you are writing about, as
well as their age, proficiency level, type of school, and their purpose for learning English.

Option 1
How can research into the organization and function of the mental lexicon be applied to L2 vocabulary
learning and teaching? Support your answer with reference to the relevant research literature. Illustrate
your answer with extracts from published TESOL reference and/or teaching materials used with learners
at levels and in teaching contexts you are familiar with. Copy and paste scans of materials in appendices
at the end of your document.
Option 2: How can research into lexical relations be applied to L2 vocabulary learning and teaching?
Support your answer with reference to the relevant research literature. Illustrate your answer with
extracts from published TESOL reference and/or teaching materials used with learners at levels and in
teaching contexts you are familiar with. Copy and paste scans of materials in appendices at the end of
your document.
Option 3: Choose three of the items below and discuss, with reference to relevant research literature,
how they could be used in teaching speaking and/or writing to L2 learners at levels and in teaching
contexts you are familiar with. Discuss any difficulties and/or benefits they have for learners of English.
Illustrate your answer with examples from resources we have used in class such as COCA and/or
SketchEngine. Suggest ways in which teachers might help learners to tackle the difficulties or take
advantage of the benefits you have identified.
• COBUILD grammar patterns
• lexical bundles (e.g. Biber)
• phrasal expressions (e.g. Martinez & Schmitt)
• multi-word constructions (Liu)
• collocations
Option 4: Choose two of the monolingual learner dictionaries below and discuss, with reference to
relevant research literature, how they could be used in teaching speaking and/or writing to L2 learners
at levels and in teaching contexts you are familiar with. Discuss any difficulties and/or benefits they have
for learners of English. Illustrate your answer with examples from the dictionaries as well as resources
we have used in class such as COCA and/or SketchEngine. Suggest ways in which teachers might help
learners to tackle the difficulties or take advantage of the benefits you have identified.
• Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/learner-english/
• Collins Learner Dictionary www.collinsdictionary.com
• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English https://www.ldoceonline.com/
• Macmillan Dictionary www.macmillandictionary.com/
• Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/