Abstract

Lexical availability assessment has been widely used in vocabulary research. This data collectiontechnique uses lexical statistics based on controlled association tests that activate the productionof lexical items as a reaction to a stimulus, thus evidencing the productive lexical knowledge of thespeakers. Lexical availability also allows the exploration of the organization of the mental lexiconthrough the generation of semantic networks that show the underlying relationships between thewords recalled. With this objective in mind, a lexical availability test composed of 2 centers of interest(i.e., methods and approaches in L2 learning and lesson planning) was applied to a sample of 350pre-service teachers in an English Medium Instruction (EMI) context to explore their academicvocabulary knowledge and mental lexicons. The results show that as the years of study of the subjectin the sample increase, the average number of words they can recall and the degree of coincidencein the responses also increase. In addition, greater specificity in the specialized lexicon is observedas the students move forward through the curriculum. From a pedagogical point of view, lexicalavailability and semantic networks make it possible to monitor students’ lexical acquisition processand to determine remedial measures when deemed necessary. The implications of these findingshighlight the significance of monitoring the progression of academic vocabulary and specializedlexicon in EMI contexts. This monitoring enables the adaptation of teaching approaches and lessonplans to facilitate students’ gradual improvement in these areas, thereby enhancing their languageskills and academic success.