Lexical Syllabus in Elementary and Secondary Education: Construction and Implementation

Abstract Nonnative language users operate with significantly limited vocabularies compared to native speakers, particularly when the language is learnt in school contexts. This paper demonstrates how empirical research on vocabulary learning combined with experience in teaching and curricula design has informed the principled construction of a lexical syllabus for Israeli elementary and secondary education (Grades 4–12, CEFR Pre‐A1–B2) in 2020, subsequently implemented in school textbooks, in 2023. Syllabus construction was guided by considerations regarding the amount of lexis necessary for performing language tasks, word frequencies, orthographic patterns, multiword units, distinction between receptive and productive knowledge, and word organization units. Implementation was informed by research on the effects of repeated exposures, spacing and recycling, and optimal types of vocabulary activities.