Which topics require the most specialized vocabulary at C1 level

Topics that require the most specialized vocabulary at the C1 level typically relate to academic, scientific, technical, and professional fields where precise and advanced terminology is necessary. According to research and academic resources, the following themes are notable for demanding high levels of specialized vocabulary at C1:

• Academic and Research Writing: Students at C1-C2 levels exhibit lexical variety and use specialized academic vocabulary, including metadiscourse markers and precise terminology relevant to their discipline. This is common in university-level research papers. ¹

• Scientific and Technical Fields: Scientific articles and domains like maritime English or medical terminology require a specialized lexicon that often includes technical terms unique to those fields. For example, maritime English involves both general and specialized maritime vocabulary, acquired through targeted learning strategies. Medical communication uses specialized terminology that must be accessible yet precise, especially in public health contexts. ^{4, 7}

• Law Enforcement and Police Terminology: ESP (English for Specific Purposes) materials for police cadets incorporate highly specialized vocabulary related to law enforcement scenarios, requiring consistent and authentic use of terms. ⁸

• Contemporary Social Issues: Topics like fast fashion and overtourism are handled at C1 level with attention to specific vocabulary related to environmental, economic, and social aspects. These topics demand familiarity with lexis related to causes, effects, and impacts of such issues. ^{9, 10}

• General Academic and Content Area Subjects: Secondary and higher education content areas often present multiple-meaning and specialized vocabulary terms that challenge even advanced learners. This is particularly true for students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds learning specialized content. ⁵

In summary, specialized vocabulary at C1 level is most prevalent in academic writing, scientific and technical domains (e.g., maritime, medical), law enforcement contexts, and complex social/environmental topics. These areas necessitate learning lexicons that go beyond everyday language to include field-specific terminology with precise meanings and usage patterns.

References: Vocabulary complexity in academic EFL writing, Costa Rica study. ¹ General and Specialized Maritime English vocabulary. ⁴ Specialized vocabulary in secondary content area courses. ⁵ Medical terminology and public health communication. ⁷ ESP materials for law enforcement cadets at C1-C2 levels. ⁸ English lesson plans for social/environmental issues (fast fashion, overtourism). ^{10, 9}

This reflects the diversity and depth of specialized vocabulary topics encountered at the C1 proficiency level.

References

• Vocabulary Complexity in EFL University Students’ Academic Texts

• The Effect of Corpus-Aided Approach on Learning Specialized Vocabulary of Iranian Intermediate Efl Learners

• Recommender Performance for Users with Interest in Several Fields on Collaborative Topic Regression through Vocabulary Completion

• The potential of using corpus-based technologies for incidental vocabulary learning of General Maritime English

• Using Multimedia to Create Explicit and Culturally Responsive Content Area Vocabulary Lessons

• A Study on the Development of the Educational Materials of the 〈General Korean Language〉 for International Undergraduate Students inan Intermediate Level of the Korean Language

• Open access to global health information in mass media: Specialized translation and Russian-German-Spanish terminology

• Standardizing ESP Pedagogy: A Critical Evaluation of Language Training for Law Enforcement Cadets

• The English lesson plan on the topic “The destroying lies of fast fashion: the price we pay”

• The English lesson plan on the topic “Excessive tourism: a peril to the most popular places in the world”

• Completing the English Vocabulary Profile : C1 and C2 vocabulary

• Understanding vocabulary acquisition, instruction, and assessment: A research agenda

• ISSR: Iterative Selection with Self-Review for Vocabulary Test Distractor Generation

• Vocabulary: Common or Basic?

• Vocabulary in EFL/ESL Context: An Analysis of General English Textbook

• Ten Simple Rules for making a vocabulary FAIR

• Construction and improvement of English vocabulary learning model integrating spiking neural network and convolutional long short-term memory algorithm

• A1–B2 vocabulary: insights and issues arising from the English Profile Wordlists project