This article reports on the design and use of a profiler for lexical sophistication (i.e., use of advanced vocabulary), which was created to assess the lexical richness of intermediate and advanced Swedish second language (L2) learners' French and Italian. It discusses how teachers' judgments (TJs) of word difficulty can contribute to the…

Outlines a method of determining which words should be selected as the basic vocabulary for French courses. Rather than using frequency as its criterion, this method defines lexical utility in terms of definition, inclusion, extension, and combination. The Quebec list and the Francais Fondamental are evaluated. (EJS)

Reviews the history, principles, merits, and weaknesses of "Fundamental French" (FF) as seen 25 years after its elaboration. Focuses on the two chief components of this approach, a frequency based vocabulary and a thematic vocabulary, and discusses options open to present-day linguists for a reevaluation of FF. (MES)