Literacy skills are the cornerstones of student learning and achievement. Now more than ever, educators are expected to produce quantitative data that demonstrates a high level of literacy success. Simultaneously, teachers are encountering a diverse student population that requires greater differentiation in instructional strategies. This research…

Currently there is a general uncertainty about what makes collocations (i.e., fixed word combinations with specific, not easily interpreted relations between their components) hard for ESL learners to master, and about how to improve collocation recognition and learning process. This study explored and designed a comparative classification of…

In recent years the study of second language (L2) vocabulary learning through reading has attracted much attention in the field of L2 acquisition. A specific area that has received wide interest is the examination of the processes involved in deriving word meanings from context. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships…

This study explores how non-native speakers of English think of words to enter into library databases when they begin the process of searching for information in English. At issue is whether or not language learning takes place when these students use library databases. Language learning in this study refers to the use of strategies employed by…

Numerous studies have indicated that the provision of appropriate computer-mediated support to second language (L2) learners results in different vocabulary learning outcomes. However, there is no study available that investigates the transition in their way of learning vocabulary under the influence of technology-based support. This article…

Recognizing the importance of lexis and vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) in academic studies, this article presents a descriptive case study of technical vocabulary learning in English over one academic term in an intact, required first year course in a graduate school of theology in Canada. After outlining background information and…

Imagery and sentence versions of the key word method of vocabulary learning were contrasted with three nonkey word verbal-contextual alternatives using strict, intermediate, and lenient scoring criteria. Definition learning in the key word conditions, imagery more so than verbal, was superior to learning in all nonkey word conditions, especially…

Young people entering post-secondary institutions or seeking employment generally require senior high school diplomas. There are few jobs available that do not require advanced levels of many kinds of literacy and most employers will consider only those applicants who have completed senior high school, even for entry-level positions. When English…

Building on the prior work of Sanaoui (1995), this article reports on the results of administering a self-report questionnaire to students of English as a Second Language to discover the vocabulary learning activities that learners engaged in outside class. Discusses why a structured learning approach did not predict either greater vocabulary…

Focuses on the effect of using a second language in the classroom and the series of mental situations created in the listener in this environment. The second entry in this section discusses what is required in a student who listens to the news in a foreign language on a daily basis as presented by Radio Canada. (CK)

Undertakes a study to evaluate second-language learning with a videodisc named "Vi-Conte." Presents the research methodology as well as analyses of 78 learners' navigational patterns, strategies, gains in vocabulary items, changes in attitude, and global evaluation of the videodisc. Makes suggestions for the development of…

This empirical study examines how English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners use their vocabulary knowledge for inferring meanings of unknown words in reading comprehension. The data, collected through interviews with young adult ESL students in Canadian universities, indicate that: (a) semantic and morphological aspects of vocabulary knowledge…

Examines the inferencing procedures used by university-level second language (L2) learners of French to guess at the meaning of unfamiliar words in a written L2 text. The article combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and compares the strategies used by students assessed as high or low in French proficiency relative to their…

The role of grammatical knowledge in second language (L2) lexical processing is far from clear. Providing evidence from a recent introspective study, this paper seeks to demonstrate the significant contribution that such knowledge can make to inferring the meanings of unfamiliar words while reading, and to possible consequent acquisition of L2…

Describes how to incorporate English as a second language (ESL) reading and listening comprehension strategies into an intensive ESL program using authentic materials about Canada. Instructional material selection and task design strategies for pairs and groups are illustrated through examples of methods using geography, map skills, and cultural…