Assessing the lexical richness of figurative expressions in Taiwanese EFL learners’ writing

Abstract This study aimed to explore the lexical richness of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ figurative expressions, including quantity, diversity, and types of figurative meanings, and the extent to which learners at different proficiency levels display such characteristics in their writing. Data for analysis were 442 writing samples collected from the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT), a test commissioned by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, across four proficiency levels. The procedure for identifying figurative expressions was adapted from the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit. The results showed that metaphors were the most frequently used figurative function across proficiency levels, whereas similes were the least frequently used. Among the four proficiency levels, learners at the intermediate level were the most productive in engaging diverse figurative forms and functions. The findings will contribute to a refinement of the proficiency descriptors in the GEPT and foster a positive washback effect on EFL learners’ development of vocabulary knowledge.