ABSTRACT
For a variety of theoretical and pragmatic reasons, researchers and practitioners have
supported vocabulary development for college students. Words are important because
they are the visual and auditory symbols that individuals use in communication to
represent important ideas and concepts. When individuals have an understanding of these
words, they increase their perceptions of the world, expand and reorganize their prior
knowledge, and facilitate their ability to use appropriate words in expressive
communication situations (Kibby, 1995). More specifically, college students must
understand the discipline-specific, general, and technical words they read in their
assigned texts and hear in lectures or discussions if they hope to succeed. They also need
extensive and varied expressive vocabularies in order to write essays and research papers
and deliver oral presentations during class.
