Abstract-The focus of the study reported in this article was vocabulary size attained in two learning environments, i.e. in regular mainstream instruction and in CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). Receptive and productive vocabulary sizes of sixth-graders from both environments were compared with the respective vocabulary sizes of corresponding ninth-graders using the Vocabulary Levels Test and the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test. It was hypothesized that CLIL would produce larger vocabularies, as it offers learners more extensive and versatile exposure to the target language. This turned out to be the case, as did the previously attested phenomenon that receptive vocabularies are larger than productive vocabularies. However, the development of the productive-receptive ratio was not uniform across the frequency levels, even though it was at its highest at the third frequency band (3000 most common English words).

Abstract-The study reported in this article was conducted to investigate the influence of free-time reading on foreign language vocabulary development. The subjects were sixth and ninth graders in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and in regular mainstream classes, with Finnish as their L1 and English as their L2. The vocabulary sizes of the learners were measured with the Vocabulary Levels Test and the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test. Students who reported reading in English in their free time turned out to have larger vocabularies, both receptive and productive, than those who did not. The influence of reading on L2 vocabulary skills was particularly strong in the case of learners who read on a daily basis. Participants in the CLIL programmes had larger vocabularies than their mainstream peers, which can be seen as a result of the effective learning environment but also of the fact that they read substantially more than pupils in regular classes.