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Ghiwa Basharsouh, Sultan Qaboos University, OmanAbstract
Understanding how second language (L2) learners store, organize, and retrieve vocabulary is central to effective language teaching and learning. This study investigates the structure of the L2 mental lexicon among Arabic-speaking learners of English, focusing on semantic categorization, internal lexical organization, and processes of lexical access and retrieval across proficiency levels. Previous research suggests that lexical knowledge is organized as a dynamic network shaped by experience, frequency, and proficiency, with direct consequences for retrieval efficiency (Elman, 2004; Brysbaert et al., 2017). Adopting a descriptive, cross-sectional design, the study involves 150 Arabic L1 learners of English classified into beginner, intermediate, and advanced proficiency levels using the Oxford Placement Test. Data are collected through a lexical availability task administered in both English and Arabic, eliciting lexical items from multiple semantic categories under time constraints. Quantitative analyses examine lexical productivity and retrieval patterns, while network-based analyses model the internal structure of the mental lexicon by identifying types of lexical associations (semantic, collocational, formal, and encyclopedic) and patterns of connectivity across proficiency levels (Agustín-Llach & Rubio, 2024). The study is theoretically informed by models of bilingual lexical processing that emphasize spreading activation, lexical mediation, and lexical entrenchment. Prior evidence indicates that slower lexical access in L2 reflects weaker lexical entrenchment resulting from limited exposure rather than structural deficits (Diependaele et al., 2013). By linking lexical organization and retrieval efficiency to proficiency and L1–L2 interaction, the study aims to contribute empirically grounded insights with direct implications for vocabulary instruction, task design, and pedagogical practices in ESL/EFL contexts.
Paper Information
Conference: PCE2026Stream: Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL)
Published: Thursday January 15, 2026
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