Abstract

The aims of this study are to determine lexical diversity and density in argumentative essays produced by students of Spanish as a foreign language (SFL), to analyze the influence of first language and Spanish level on such measures, and to determine the new lexicon used by the participants in their texts according to the specific notions of the Instituto Cervantes Curricular Plan. The study is a quantitative descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. The sample is composed of 46 texts written by students SFL in two traditional Chilean universities, with proficiency levels A2, B1 and B2. The results indicate that the level of Spanish has an impact on the lexical diversity and density; the first language does not influence the measures. The presence of a series of lexical items used by students that are not found in the specific notions of the Cervantes Institute's Curricular Plan is observed, so it is suggested that they be incorporated into this plan.