The books take an innovative 'practice to theory' approach, with a 'back-to-front' structure. This leads the reader from real-world problems and issues, through a discussion of intervention and how to engage with these concerns, before finally relating these practical issues to theoretical foundations. Additional features include tasks with commentaries, a glossary of key terms, and an annotated further reading section.

Vocabulary is the foundation of language and language learning and as such, knowledge of how to facilitate learners' vocabulary growth is an indispensable teaching skill and curricular component. Exploring Vocabulary is designed to raise teachers' and students' awareness of the interplay between the linguistic, psychological, and instructional aspects of vocabulary acquisition. It focuses on meeting the specific vocabulary needs of English language learners in whatever instructional contexts they may be in, with a special emphasis on addressing the high-stakes needs of learners in academic settings and the workplace.

Dee Gardner also introduces a new Common Core Vocabulary, constructed from two of the most well-known and contemporary corpora of English-the British National Corpus and the Corpus of Contemporary American English.

Exploring Vocabulary is an essential book for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying vocabulary within Applied Linguistics, TESOL, or Teacher Education, as well as any teacher working with English language learners.