Breadth and Depth Specialized Vocabulary Learning in Theology among Native and Non-Native English Speakers

A study examined native and nonnative English-speaker (NES and NNES) students\u27 knowledge and learning of specialized vocabulary over one academic term in a graduate school of theology. Findings revealed that both groups brought some breadth and depth of knowledge of specialized theological vocabulary to their studies, but the NNES group\u27s scores on both measures tended to be lower than those of NESs, there was an overall increase in scores at the end of the term, and the gap between the NNES and NES groups in breadth of vocabulary knowledge was essentially bridged but for depth of knowledge it actually widened