Loanword proportion in vocabulary size tests

What is it about?

The paper presents a research which examined how the number of loanwords (words borrowed from one language into another) in a vocabulary test may affect the test scores of foreign language learners.

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Why is it important?

When creating a vocabulary test, it is important to bear in mind that loanwords are an integral part of learners' vocabulary knowledge. Nevertheless, it is also important to realize that too many loanwords may overestimate learners' vocabulary knowledge. It is thus recommended that the number of loanwords included in a vocabulary test is as representative of their proportion in the language as possible.