An experiment was developed under the assumption that learning about word families could help ease the introduction of short vowels to first grade students. The hypothesis was that teaching the word families would increase students' reading vocabulary, in contrast to the learning acquired by students taught only phonetic analysis. The control…

This study investigates the cognitive processes used by nonnative students of English as a second language (ESL) in recognizing vocabulary items. Four specific questions are addressed: (1) To what extent does context aid in evoking educated guesses? (2) To what degree can contextual clues mislead intelligent guessing? (3) Do foreign language…

This study examines the role of interlanguage transfer in lexico-semantic development in adult native Japanese-speaking learners of English as a second language in reference to two questions: (1) what constrains the initial hypothesis the student makes about the new target language word? and (2) what constrains a restructuring process of a…

The Total Physical Response (TPR) method of teaching languages, while found to be effective and theoretically interesting, appears to have limitations in some circumstances. In a British program of English as a second language, TPR was found to be useful only for teaching vocabulary and only at low levels; the language it produced (imperatives and…

Described in this paper is a writing strategy used in English-as-a-second-language (ESL) classes for Spanish-speaking adult immigrants in a Washington, D.C. center that goes beyond the standard ESL textbook reading/writing exercises to involve students in the writing process. The teacher wrote a brief text in the first person on a topic of…

Recent cognitive research concerned with training of word recognition skills and vocabulary skills in English monolinguals has implications for second language learning theory and the teaching of English reading skills to native Spanish speakers. Researchers in reading development, cognitive psychology, and second language proficiency assessment…

The creation of new words through the novel combination of English words or morphemes (e.g., "map ball" to refer to a globe) was studied and compared in 40 preschool children, 40 grade school children, and 40 adults. These made-up words or lexical innovations were collected while subjects attempted to name pictured objects and were evaluated in…

A classroom activity using passport forms that students fill out themselves by interviewing classmates is described. The passport lesson is structured to be self-contained, presenting all necessary structures and vocabulary for successful functioning within the unit. It may be used any time during the language program to reinforce an aspect of the…

Designed to provide an introduction to study skills for students in the eighth, ninth, and tenth grades, this teacher's guide provides a series of 12 activity-oriented units, most of which require one period of class time. The units in the guide cover the following topics: (1) learning to listen, (2) vocabulary (getting meaning from context), (3)…

This guide focuses on literature to entertain and literature to understand one's self. Designed primarily for independent use by students, several of the literary selections in each section of the guide are followed by the same sequence of questions so that students can develop a pattern for questioning themselves. The first section, on literature…

A study was conducted to assess the emphasis that elementary school teachers place on teaching vocabulary. The survey, distributed to 359 teachers in 7 school districts around the country, was completed by 228 teachers of grades one through five. Questions were directed at vocabulary instruction within the reading program as well as within the…

This book describes specific ways for teachers to assist their students in mastering skills needed for success in school. It is based upon the belief that thinking can be improved, human intellect sharpened, and academic ability increased. A case for study skills is made in Chapter I. Chapter II provides guidelines for the immediate improvement of…

To explore the usefulness of imagery as a learning tool in a classroom situation, this study investigated whether a visual image has an additive effect on the recall of definitions of previously unknown English words. One-hundred-forty-two students enrolled in six sections of an upper level developmental reading course at Georgia State University…

An individual who undertook the study of Lithuanian recounts his experiences in getting started and provides information about available materials and radio broadcasts in the language. Texts, tapes, records, and materials designed for children are listed and sources provided. Techniques found to be useful for independent language learning are also…

Using the counting features in previous mean length of utterance (MLU) studies, a study of the active vocabularies of adolescents looked at seven concrete features of the words 104 seventh grade and 100 eleventh grade subjects gave in response to 10 pictures. Each subject wrote five words for each of the pictures, which were analyzed for number of…