Defining lexical familiarizations as devices by means of which an author gives a reader an understanding of newly introduced key lexis, this paper discusses familiarizations in content area textbooks. The various sections of the paper examine the following topics: (1) the forms taken by lexical familiarizations, including use of reader experience,…

This study investigated whether words that are glossed (defined) in a second language text correspond to the words that readers of differing ability find difficult. It examined: (1) whether marginal glosses provide assistance to students of first-, second-, and third-semester college French in their comprehension of authentic text, as measured by…