PEESI2_a5_t12

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We saw that they (researchers) learned that a native speaker knows between 12,000 
and 20,000 words, depending on their level of education. 
 
However, they also figured out that it’s possible to communicate adequately with 
fewer than 20,000 words, due to the fact that some high-frequency words are 
repeated many times in both spoken and written text. 
 
So, they concluded that if a learner learns between 2,000 and 5,000 words, s/he 
should be able to understand from 80% to 88.7% of a text, which is a perfectly 
achievable task for the foreign language learner. 
 
Regarding the frequency of words, we argued that knowing the most frequent words 
in a language helps teachers to make decisions about what to teach and in what 
order. 
 
Nonetheless, teachers should keep in mind that it’s not possible to teach all the top 
2,000 words in the order they appear. Therefore, they should see the list of high 
frequency words as just a guide. 
 
When it comes to teaching vocabulary, we learned that it’s best taught when the 
meaning and the form of a new word is presented to learners in close conjunction 
because it enables them to make a mental connection between the two more readily.