College and university students in English as a second language classes need to acquire an active and fairly extensive vocabulary rather quickly. Methods of learning such as analysis and memorization of word lists, word building, and dictionary use can be combined with methods of gaining vocabulary by becoming familiar with it and using it in…

Instructional materials for helping eighth-grade students to expand their driving-related vocabulary and to become familiar with the driving laws and knowledge needed to pass the California driver's examination are presented in this unit from the Greenfield Express Management System (GEMS) program, a California Demonstration Program in Reading. A…

Even for foreigners who have completed intermediate or advanced courses in English, technical prose may prove difficult because of a lack of knowledge of vocabulary and syntax. A research program investigates these variables to improve EFL instruction. (CK)

This article describes the use of drama activities to motivate students, to teach vocabulary and pronunciation, and to enhance cooperative learning. The author describes in five steps the classroom procedure of an activity based on the play of "Romeo and Juliet." The author discusses the results of the activity and its implications. Play…

This book is a follow-up to the original CLAS K-2 (1985) oral language program for kindergarten through second grade, but can also be used independently. It contains 50 additional listening and speaking activities designed for use together or individually with whole classroom groups. Each includes three to six activities with cut-outs, stories,…

This guide to the use of computer software in Spanish second language instruction contains a series of lesson plans based in part on software content. The topics covered by the lesson plans are common to Spanish level 1 and 2 courses, and are intended not as a sequential course but as a reference for teachers. All lessons involve computer use and…

Globally, knowledge of word meanings is related to reading comprehension. R. C. Anderson and P. Freebody's (1981) seminal paper on vocabulary set forth three hypotheses to explain this relationship--an "instrumentalist" hypothesis suggesting that knowledge of word meanings directly causes reading comprehension, and "general…

Based on the notion that teaching vocabulary extension in isolation makes little impact on students, a three-part exercise, designed to develop students' vocabulary through poetry while providing meaningful enjoyment, uses the poem "The Hawk" by A. C. Benson. In the first class period, students are introduced to both the exercise and the poem and…

A study examined the efficacy of the keyword method of vocabulary instruction by comparing it with five methods designed to increase semantic processing of the definitions of the vocabulary words. Subjects in all five experiments were college students. In the first three experiments, recall of the definitions from the vocabulary words was the…

The information in this guide is arranged to provide Title I reading teachers with (1) a list of materials that are coordinated with the performance objectives forming the core of the educational program for Title I students, and (2) suggested teaching strategies for each performance objective. Content of the guide is divided into the following…

English as a second language (ESL) teachers find the newspaper a terrific source for easy-to-prepare reusable materials. Travel ads with coupons from the travel section can be cut out for beginning level students to complete and mail in envelopes they address. Students can find places on maps. In addition, intermediate and advanced students can…

One successful model for instruction in English as a second language (ESL) takes its core texts from a single recurring publication or broadcast. The use of one periodical maximizes the opportunity to become familiar with the format, topics, and common story genres or scripts. Script theory, which views texts as answers to predictable questions…

A review of business German textbooks reveals that few give significant attention to accounting terminology. Both German majors and business majors enrolled in business German need to be introduced to the balance sheet and income statement. It is possible to devote one or two class sessions to accounting by limiting content to a minimal but solid…

A discussion of the ease or difficulty of learning vocabulary words in a second language looks at a variety of issues in second language instruction. Research on factors in vocabulary learning is discussed, focusing on such factors as similarity in form and morphology, deceptive morphological structure, different syntactic patterning in the native…

Part of a project to teach Inupiaq culture and language, the teacher's guide contains 18 lessons about survival. The lessons focus on survival on ice, water, and land; hunting gear; fall and early winter weather; emergency shelters; landmarks; traditional clothing; land and water transportation; first aid; search and rescue; sewing; traditional…