1
An Introduction to the Academic Word List
Averil Coxhead, Massey University, New Zealand
The Academic Word List (AWL) is a list of 570  word families that are commonly found in  academic texts. This list was selected by  examining a large corpus (or collection) of  written academic texts and selecting the  words that occurred:
1 In texts from all four academic faculty
sections: Arts, Commerce, Law and Science. 2 Over 100 times in the corpus overall.
3 At least 10 times in each academic
faculty section.
4 Outside the 2000 most frequent words
on Michael West’s General Service List
(GSL). The GSL includes everyday words
such as I, house and do.
These principles ensured that only words that  occurred reasonably frequently in a variety of study areas were selected.
The AWL targets vocabulary that occurs most often in written academic texts. These words also occur in newspapers but not as often as they do in textbooks. The AWL words appear even less in fiction. If your focus is learning academic vocabulary, you need to make sure you read academic textbooks so that you encounter these words in context.
The AWL is organized into Word Families.  Word families are made up of the ‘parent word’ and ‘family members’. Take for example the word maximise. Its family members include inflections of the verb such as maximised,
maximises and maximising as well as the noun maximum. The word family also includes the British spelling of the noun maximisation, as well as maximization, the US spelling.
If you learn the verb maximise, you will be able to recognise other family members such as maximise
d when you encounter them in your reading. These words are closely related and the meaning is likely to be the same or similar. When you are looking for words in this dictionary, think about other word family members too. Finally, there are some academic words that
do not have a word family. These words occur on their own and do not have any inflections.  Examples include nonetheless,so-called and behalf.
The AWL is intended as a reference for students who are studying or preparing to study at a tertiary level in English. As a university lecturer,  I was aware of the difficulties that students had  in mastering the vocabulary necessary for written assignments. The AWL does not include ‘content’ vocabulary for particular subjects which students obviously need to learn as well. The AWL focuses instead on the non-subject-specific vocabulary that students of any discipline will need to master in order to produce coherently-structured written assignments.
The AWL covers up to 10% of the vocabulary covered in written academic texts. This means that, on average, one word in 10 in an academic textbook is in the AWL. Look at the following extract from an academic text:
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY Environmental issues are truly global.  Many of the proble
ms, like the releasing
of CFCs into the atmosphere,  have global effects and require global action.  Some problems link to the exploitation of global commons – the resources shared by the international community such
as ocean beds and the atmosphere. Sometimes small local problems, such
as poisonous gases leaking from landfills and water pollution, are multiplied so many times in any local contexts that
they become major world hazards. The environment is a global concern requiring global policies.
Academic Word List
Academic Word List2
The highlighted words are all on the AWL.
This sample illustrates clearly that the AWL
can help with decisions about which words are important for you to learn if you are studying in an En
glish-speaking country.
Knowledge of academic vocabulary is vital for students studying at an English-speaking  university, particularly for reading and writing.
If you compare estimates of how many words a native English speaker might know by the age of 18 (approximately 18,000 to 20,000 words) and how many a learner who has had two or three hours of schooling in English over
several years (roughly 2000 to 3000 words depending on the language background of the student), this gap is enormous. In order to read and write successfully you need to be able to recognize as many words as possible in your textbooks and use as many as possible in your essays. The bigger your vocabulary, the more you will be able to cope with the high reading and writing demands of your studies.
Academic writing tends to be quite formal in style. The vocabulary items that you use in your writing can affect the level of formality.  Writers need to know whether a word can be used in a particular situation. T ake for example consequent. This is marked as formal. You would probably
not choose to use this word when speaking with friends but you should use it in written English to take your language to a higher level of formality. The AWL will help you to focus on issues of formality. Look out for the formal label in this dictionary.
Remember that the AWL covers approximately 10% of all vocabulary in a piece of academic writing. You should aim to have roughly the same percentage in your own academic writing too. If you go to the AWL highlighter websitewords
by Sandra Haywood (ingham. ac.uk/~alzsh3/acvocab/awlhighlighter.html) you can copy and paste your text into it and it will highlight the AWL words for you. This will enable you to see how many AWL words you are using overall and whether you repeat the same words many times in your writing.
When looking up words from the AWL in this dictionary you should also focus on the bold phrases that are highlighted. These show you the key grammatical patterns and collocations for that word. Collocations are words that commonly occur together or near each other in a text, for example ‘effect on’. Collocations and phrases are important because they help with fluency
in writing and indicate that you are working at a higher level with academic vocabulary than just usin
g a word from your own language and its translation. The collocations in the following text have been highlighted in blue.
DECLINING BIODIVERSITY
Whatever the effects on this planet’s  climate, rain-forest clearance has another undeniable impact. The disappearance of rain forests is a major factor eroding the earth’s biodiversity, or, more simply  causing many thousands of species of plant and animal life to disappear forever. While rain forests account for just seven percent of the earth’s surface, they are home to almost half of this planet’s living species. Estimates
of the total number of species of animals
and plants range from 1.5 million to as high as 30 million.  Researchers, in fact, have identified more than 1,000 species of ants alone (Wilson, 1991).
Remember that building your vocabulary takes time. You are not likely to learn everything you need to know about a word the very first time you see it. And don’t expect to remember everything about a word after looking it up in a dictionary once. Try some of these ideas to help you with vocabulary building:
• Make the most of the information given in this dictionary to build up your knowledge of a word. Look at the bold phrases highlighted in the entry. These show important grammatical patterns and collocations. Learn these rather than the word in isolation.
• Even if you think you already ‘know’ a word, look it up in the dictionary to see if there is any additional information that you don’t know.• Research has shown that repetition helps people to remember things. Make sure you build repetition into your learning. You could do this through using word cards to test yourself or by keeping a vocabulary notebook.
Academic Word List
3
• Studying words ‘actively’ will help your
learning. People do learn words through reading but the chances of remembering vocabulary is higher when you focus on the words and make a conscious effort to learn them.
• Look out for common collocations, phrases and grammatical patterns of words when you are reading academic texts.
• Work with the AWL alongside you when you are writing. Try to use words from the list that are relevant to your writing. The words on the AWL are marked with  in this dictionary.
The AWL does not include the 2000 most  frequent words used in general everyday English.  In this dictionary, however, the 3000 most frequent words in written English are also marked with 1
2and 3and the 3000 most frequent words in spoken English are marked with and .
In some cases, these overlap with the AWL.
Averil Coxhead is a lecturer in English for Academic Purposes
at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. She
compiled the AWL in 2000. For further information on the AWL go to Averil’s website at language./staff/awl/
index.shtml.
Acknowledgement: Extracts on the subject of European environmental policy and declining biodiversity are reproduced with permission from Sociology:
A Global Introduction, third edition, by John J. Macionis and Ken Plummer,
©Pearson Education Limited 2005.
abandon1v abandoned adj abnormal adj abstract1adj abstract2n abstract3v abstraction n academic1adj academic2n academy n access1n access2v accessible adj accommodate v accommodation n accompaniment n accompany v accumulate v accuracy n accurate adj achieve v achievement n acknowledge v acknowledgement n acquire v acquisition n adapt v adaptable adj adaptation n adequate adj adjacent adj
adjust v
adjustment n
administration n
administrative adj
adult1n
adult2adj
advocacy n
advocate1v
advocate2 n
affect v
aggregate1 n
aggregate2 adj
aggregate3 v
aid1 n
aid2 v
albeit conj
allocate v
allocation n
alter v
alteration n
alternate1 adj
alternate2 v
alternative1 adj
alternative2 n
ambiguity n
ambiguous adj
amend v
amendment n
analogous adj
analogy n
analyse v
analysis n
analyst n
analytical adj
analyze v
annual1 adj
anticipate v
anticipation n
apparent adj
append v
appendix n
appreciable adj
appreciate v
appreciation n
approach1 v
approach2 n
appropriate1 adj
approximate1 adj
approximate2 v
approximation n
arbitrary adj
area n
aspect n
assemble v
assembly n
assess v
assessment n
assign v
assignment n
assist1 v
assistance n
assume v
assuming conj
assumption n
assurance n
assure v
attach v
attachment n
attain v
attainment n
attitude n
attributable adj
attribute1 v
attribute2 n
author1 n
author2 v
authoritative adj
authority n
authorship n
automate v
automated adj
automatic1 adj
automatically adv
automation n
available adj
aware adj
awareness n
Academic Word List
The following is a list of the words from the Academic Word List that are highlighted in this dictionary. Words shown in bold are one of the ‘parent words’.
Academic Word List4
behalf n beneficial adj beneficiary n benefit1 n benefit2 v
bias1 n
bias2 v
biased adj
bond1 n
bond2 v brevity n
brief1 adj
brief2 n
brief3 v briefing n briefly adv
bulk1 n
bulky adj
capability n capable adj capacity n category n cease1 v challenge1 n challenge2 v challenging adj channel1 n channel2 v chapter n
chart1 n
chart2 v chemical1 n chemical2 adj circumstance n citation n
cite v
civil adj clarification n clarify v
clarity n classic1 adj classic2 n classical adj clause n
code1 n
code2 v
coded adj coding n coherence n coherent adj coincide v coincidence n coincident adj coincidental adj collapse1 v collapse2 n colleague n commence v commencement n comment1 n
comment2 v
commentary n
commentator n
commission1 n
commission2 v
commit v
commitment n
committed adj
commodity n
communicable adj
communicate v
communication n
communicative adj
community n
compatibility n
compatible1 adj
compensate v
compensation n
compensatory adj
compilation n
compile v
complement1 n
complement2 v
complementary adj
complex1 adj
complex2 n
complexity n
component1 n
component2 adj
compound1 n
compound2 v
compound3 adj
comprehensive adj
comprise v
computation n
compute v
computer n
computing n
conceivable adj
conceive v
concentrate1 v
concentration n
concept n
conception n
conceptual adj
conclude v
concluding adj
conclusion n
conclusive adj
concurrent adj
conduct1 v
conduct2 n
confer v
conference n
confine v
confined adj
confirm v
confirmation n
conflict1 n
conflict2 v
conform v
conformation n
conformist adj
conformity n
consensus n
consent1 n
consent2 v
consequence n
consequent adj
consequently adv
considerable adj
considerably adv
consist v
consistency n
consistent adj
constancy n
constant1 adj
constant2 n
constantly adv
constituency n
constituent1 n
constituent2 adj
constitute v
constitution n
constitutional1 adj
constrain v
constrained adj
constraint n
construct1 v
construct2 n
construction n
constructive adj
consult v
consultancy n
consultant n
consultation n
consultative adj
consume v
consumer n
consumption n
contact1 n
contact2 v
contact3 adj
contemporary1 adj
contemporary2 n
context n
contextual adj
contextualize v
contract1 n
contract2 v
contractor n
contradict v
contradiction n
contradictory adj
contrary1 n
contrary2 adj
contrast1 n
contrast2 v
contrasting adj
contribute v
contribution n
contributor n
controversial adj
controversy n
convene v
convention n
conventional adj
converse3 adj
conversely adv
conversion n
convert1 v
convertible 1 adj
convince v
convinced adj
convincing adj
cooperate v
cooperation n
cooperative1 adj
coordinate1 v
coordinate2 n
coordinate3 adj
coordination n
coordinator n
core1 n
core2 adj
core3 v
corporate adj
corporation n
correspond v
correspondence n
corresponding adj
couple1 n
couple2 v
create v
creation n
creative1 adj
creativity n
creator n
credit1 n
credit2 v
creditor n
criterion n
crucial adj
cultural adj
culturally adv
culture1 n
currency n
cycle1 n
cycle2 v
cyclic adj
data n
debatable adj
debate1 n
debate2 v
decade n
decline1 n
decline2 v
deduce v
Academic Word List 5
deduction n define v
definite adj definitely adv definition n definitive adj demonstrable adj demonstrate v demonstration n demonstrative adj demonstrator n denial n
denote v
deny v
depress v depression n derivation n derivative1 n derivative2 adj derive v
design1 n
design2 v designer1 n despite prep detect v detection n detective n detector n deviate1 v deviation n device n
devote v devoted adj devotion n differentiate v dimension n diminish v diminution n discrete adj discretion n discretionary adj discriminate v discrimination n disestablish v displace v displacement n display1 n display2 v disposable adj disposal n dispose v disproportion n disproportionate adj dissimilar adj distinct adj distinction n distinctive adj distinctly adv distort v distribute v distribution n
distributive adj
diverse adj
diversify v
diversity n
document1 n
document2 v
documentation n
domain n
domestic1 adj
domesticate v
domesticated adj
dominance n
dominant1 adj
dominate v
draft1 n
draft2 v
draft3 adj
drama n
dramatic adj
dramatist n
dramatize v
duration n
dynamic1 adj
dynamic2 n
economic adj
economical adj
economically adv
economics n
economist n
economy1 n
edit v
edition n
editor n
editorial1 adj
editorial2 n
element n
eliminate v
elimination n
emerge v
emergence n
emergent adj
emerging adj
emphasis n
emphasize v
emphatic adj
empirical adj
empiricism n
enable v
enabling adj
encounter1 v
encounter2 n
energetic adj
energy n
enforce v
enforced adj
enforcement n
enhance v
enhanced adj
enormity n
enormous adj
enormously adv
ensure v
entity n
environment n
environmental adj
environmentalist n
equate v
equation n
equip v
equipment n
equivalent1 adj
equivalent2 n
erode v
erosion n
erroneous adj
error n
establish v
established adj
establishment n
estate n
estimate1 n
estimate2 v
estimation n
ethic n
ethical adj
ethnic1 adj
ethnic2 n
evaluate v
evaluation n
eventual adj
eventuality n
eventually adv
evidence1 n
evident adj
evidential adj
evidently adv
evolution n
evolutionary adj
evolve v
exceed v
exclude v
excluding prep
exclusion n
exclusive1 adj
exclusively adv
exhibit1 v
exhibit2 n
exhibition n
expand v
expansion n
expansionism n
expansive adj
expert1 n
expert2 adj
expertise n
explicit adj
exploit1 v
exploitation n
export1 n
export2 v
exporter n
expose v
exposed adj
exposure n
external adj
externalize v
extract1 v
extract2 n
extraction n
facilitate v
facilitator n
facility n
factor1 n
factor2 v
feature1 n
feature2 v
federal adj
federation n
fee n
file1 n
file2 v
filing n
final1 adj
final2 n
finality n
finalize v
finally adv
finance1 n
finance2 v
financial adj
financier n
finite adj
flexibility n
flexible adj
fluctuate v
fluctuation n
focus1 v
focus2 n
focussed adj
format1 n
format2 v
formula n
formulate v
forthcoming adj
found2 v
foundation n
founder1 n
founding n
framework n
function1 n
function2 v
functional adj
fund1 n
fund2 v
fundamental adj
fundamentally adv
funding n

版权声明：本站内容均来自互联网，仅供演示用，请勿用于商业和其他非法用途。如果侵犯了您的权益请与我们联系QQ:729038198，我们将在24小时内删除。