Analyzes various apparently synonymous words for "friend" (e.g., "homes,""bro") as they are used by one former gang-member to persuade two current gang-members to stop "gangbanging." The article's analysis shows how the meanings of these disparate reference terms are made and remade through talk as…

Research has demonstrated increased retention from drill, but the data regarding drill format are inconsistent. Two commonly used models, Drill Sandwich (DS) and Incremental Rehearsal (IR), were compared to each other and to a traditional flashcard method. The IR model consistently led to significantly more words retained than the traditional or…

In a study of classroom second language acquisition, sought to determine reasons why the context in which a word appears does not always lead a language learner to an accurate interpretation of its meaning. Expands the existing research by using a natural intact, unmanipulated test as the context. Analysis of students' answers, self-reported…

Offers instructional suggestions for helping students understand the specialized language used in standardized tests they will encounter. (SG)

Presents three simple exercises (involving analogies, word relationships, and closed sorts) designed to reinforce vocabulary and concepts from content area textbooks. (RS)

The transition from slow to rapid word-learning was examined in a longitudinal study of 18 children. Results revealed that most children evidenced a prolonged period during which rate of acquisition increased, with most of the acquired words being nouns, while those who demonstrated gradual word-learning acquired a balance of nouns and other word…

Examines data on homonymy and reduplication from a longitudinal study. Results show that such strategies can appear later in the child's linguistic development than has been proposed, and that the lexical item has to be considered a central unit, beyond the earliest stages, in the acquisition of phonology. (GLR)

Provides guidelines for thesaurus planning, development, and maintenance. Topics covered include the determination of user needs; the organization of raw vocabulary into clusters; the use of compound terms vs. precoordination; the use of notation; referencing; and computer maintenance of a thesaurus. (nine references) (CLB)

The computer software TOPIC is designed primarily for the acquisition and practice of topical vocabulary in context. It bridges the gap between ready-made "learnware" and authoring packages by meeting teacher and learner requirements. Sample exercises are provided. (Author/LB)

Presents a model of the hierarchy or gradations of a student's knowledge of things and the words that signify them, ordering these variations in terms of difficulty. Offers strategies for matching vocabulary instruction to student's prior knowledge, promoting natural growth in meaning vocabulary, lifelong vocabulary learning, and teaching specific…

Examines contextual and definitional factors that determine whether and to what extent college students learn unknown words without instruction. Finds that the quality of the definition appears to determine the extent to which college students are able to learn unknown words. (RS)

Examined maternal talk about events regarding hidden, missing, or absent persons or objects, and the relationship of maternal language to children's acquisition of words for disappearance, among 12 mother-infant pairs. Results found that infants who had acquired "gone" and similar terms experienced more disappearance events than children…

Clarifies the efficacy of targeting the area of vocabulary as a means of increasing reading level. Concludes that the acquisition of new vocabulary words is related to reading proficiency. Offers five guidelines for teachers regarding direct vocabulary instruction. (SR)

In the field of English as a foreign language teaching, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of lexical collocations for vocabulary learning. An obstacle to teaching these is their number. It is argued that this enormous teaching and learning load can be reduced by a contrastive approach to the concept of lexical collocation. (36…

The results of testing 14 hearing children who learned American Sign Language as preschoolers show that these bimodal, bilingual youngsters achieve significantly higher scores than average on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and suggest knowing a sign language may have a positive influence on a hearing child's acquisition of English. (11…