Corpus-based approaches for the creation of a frequency based vocabulary list in the EU project KELLY – issues on reliability, validity and coverage

At present there are relatively few vocabulary lists for Swedish describing modern vocabulary as well as being adapted to language learners’ needs. In Europe including Sweden there exist approaches to unify ways of working consistently with language learning, one example worth naming in this respect is the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) which provides guidelines for systematic approach to language teaching and assessment of language proficiency. This article describes EU project Kelly (KEywords for Language Learning for Young and adults alike, 2009-2012), the main objective of which was to create vocabulary lists for nine languages (Swedish, English, Norwegian, Greek, Italian, Polish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian) and adapt them to CEFR levels. We describe the process of compiling and validating the Swedish Kelly-list, dwell on benefits and limitations of using a corpus based approach in this project; as well as mention the impact of the methodological approach for compiling vocabulary lists for specific purposes.