EFL learners greatly differ in the way they use and comprehend L2 words. This variation, though taken for granted, results from the cognitive nature of L2 lexical processing and the environmental factors dominating the acquisition process. Consequently, such interactions evoke certain methodological and conceptual. issues that make research in the area of L2 lexical studies complicated.
The number of factors influencing L2 lexical processing and acquisition are multivariate. The present study was designed (a) to investigate the functional role of linking strategies in processing L2 words, and (b) to discover the nature of interaction between EFL learners' language proficiency, educational background, and the conceptual demands associated with different word types.