A Study On The Correlation Between Lexical Diversity And The Quality Of EFL Compositions

Vocabulary is an essential building block of language and it is now recognized as an important aspect of learning a second language. The use of rich vocabularies is one of the obvious characteristics of high-quality writings. However, empirical studies on the correlation between lexical diversity and writing quality have been rare both at home and abroad so far. This thesis examines four indices which can be used to evaluate lexical diversity and measures the correlation between lexical diversity and the quality of writing by analyzing 41 non-English majors'timed compositions. In this study, it is found that lexical diversity significantly correlates with the quality of writing. Furthermore, language level to some extent influences the correlation between the two. The findings of the present study will be useful for improving College English vocabulary teaching and learning.