Vocabulary Challenges in Understanding English Scientific Texts: The Case of Algerian Science Doctorate Students

Abstract

English has been established as the lingua franca in many fields, particularly in science, technology, and business, with the vast majority of scholarly papers in these fields published in English. For non-native speakers, such as Algerian science students, engaging with such texts (related to their field and published in English) lead to confronting several challenges. Reading, analysing, and extracting information are often hindered by difficulties in understanding specialised vocabulary, where standard dictionaries cannot always provide the required assistance with words’ meaning and use. This study investigates the specific challenges faced by Algerian science doctorate students when dealing with scientific texts in English, focusing on vocabulary categories within English for Science and Technology (EST). Using a mixed-methods approach including a questionnaire and two tests (pre-test and post-test) conducted with ten doctorate students at Fréres Mentouri University, Constantine 1, the study identifies the most problematic word category for these students. Findings reveal that while students recognise the significant role of English for their academic and professional development, they struggle significantly with semi-technical vocabulary—words that general in meaning but specific in use especially in scientific contexts. This difficulty limits their ability to accurately understand and study scientific texts. The study confirms that direct learning of vocabulary categorisation significantly enhances comprehension and should be encouraged in EST pedagogy.