Statistical analysis was done on the scores. The mean for receptive academic vocabulary size test was 23.444
compared with 10.604 for productive vocabulary size test. This indicates that non-English major college students
know more academic vocabulary receptively than they do productively. This is not surprising since much
research on the comparison between receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge reveals that the
development of productive vocabulary knowledge lags far behind that of receptive knowledge. The first step in
learning a word is often to be able to recognize a word by its form and understand what it means. Then gradually,
with more practice of this word in reading, listening, writing, or some other activities, learners increase their
knowledge of this word and learn to use the word productively in writing or speaking. Therefore, it is apparent
that productive vocabulary knowledge builds on receptive knowledge.