Morphology matters, or Do you need to teach affixes?

The presented research investigates the role of morphological complexity (with the focus on derived forms, e.g. 'player' rather than inflected ones, e.g. 'plays', in academic writing through the analysis of written work produced by ten students over the course of their EAP studies in IPU New Zealand. The study is aimed at analyzing the relationship between the accurate use of morphologically complex vocabulary in students' written assessments and the grades that they received for their work. The quantitative analysis indicates that there is a relation between the grade and morphological derivational complexity. The qualitative analysis of individual students’ work further explores the noted trends to investigate what types of complex words are most commonly used at different levels of language proficiency. The analysis is based on Bauer and Nation’s (1993) system of seven word-family levels to establish the appropriate expectations with regard to the level of morphological awareness for learners who are preparing for undergraduate study.

The results of the analysis can be used as the basis of recommendations to EAP practitioners and EAP curriculum developers.