Explores the etymology of British surnames and relates this history to the teaching of language appreciation in English classes. (HTH)

Teachers can build on students' familiarity with and respect for the Harry Potter books to create source-based vocabulary lessons. The idea is to work with the Latin roots that J. K. Rowling uses to create original names for places, people, and magical charms and then to extend students' knowledge through exploration of additional English words…

Discusses paronyms, with reference to translation, and related forms such as synonyms, polysemes, and false cognates. (AM)

Learning the connection between the roots and the chemical meaning of terms can improve students' understanding of chemistry concepts, making them easier and more enjoyable to master. The way in which using etymology to understand the meanings and relationships of chemistry terms can aid students in strengthening and expanding their grasp of…

Suggests that one method to help advanced language students acquire new vocabulary is to study word formation and derivation. Suggests ways in which this can be done in the teaching of Italian. Discusses the process of derivation from three perspectives: (1) contrastive analysis, (2) lexical fields, and (3) etymology. (SED)

Advocates teaching etymology in composition classes and offers suggestions for arousing students' interest in word history and for keeping it relevant to writing classes. (HTH)

Suggests a method for reinforcing topics covered in an upper-division graduate course on the history of the German language. In three-week projects toward the end of the semester, students investigate modern German words according to conceptual groups from the perspective of etymology. (Author/JL)

It is proposed that etymological information, usually provided in native speaker's dictionaries but eliminated from learners' references, can serve several important functions such as disambiguate, relate words that are alphabetically far apart, illuminate by providing an image or reference, and motivate with interesting information. (Author/MSE)

Uses 90 postsecondary writing instructors and their rankings of 9 student essays to determine whether they have biases for a Greco-Latinate or Anglo-Saxon vocabulary. Raises questions about assessment practices, teaching methods, and possible effects on students who are exposed to teachers who variously favor a Greco-Latinate or an Anglo-Saxon…

The lack of knowledge about Canadian English by teachers of English in Canada is noted in this paper, and a rationale for the need to understand the sounds, syntax, word formation, vocabulary, and history of the language is developed. An approach to teaching a course in language that provides a mix of rigorous linguistic analysis and a more…