Research suggests electronic mail can be a powerful motivator for authentic second language (L2) interaction, but little is known about the efficacy of this medium in the development of target language proficiency. This study examines Email exchanges between university learners of Japanese as a foreign language and native Japanese university…

Presents Clarence Earl Gideon's petition for counsel as a primary source document to be used in social studies units on the Bill of Right's Sixth Amendment. Examines the constitutional issues of due process and right to counsel. Outlines teaching activities that develop vocabulary and analyzes Gideon v. Wainwright as a case study. (CH)

Thirty-six children, aged four-five, completed four vocabulary measures: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, Picture Vocabulary subtest of the Test of Oral Language Development, Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, and Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test. Only moderate correlations were found among these tests, implying that a…

Examines the conditions under which oral translation from a first language to a second language can be used as an exercise to build vocabulary. Depending upon the teaching situation, oral translation can be made both interesting and useful while being compatible with communicative approaches to language teaching. (Author/CB)

This study investigated the effects of manipulating design features of a computer-mediated text system, using 45 hearing-impaired subjects in grades four-six. A system design using motivational activities facilitated vocabulary knowledge and writing performance. Also analyzed were use of extrinsic motivational activities versus intrinsic, and…

Analysis of an adult's self-study of Hungarian pinpoints lexis as the major learning priority. Personalized, real-message practice tasks appeared vital for motivation and for input to become automatized. The crossing of two linguistic thresholds appeared crucial--the gaining of a large stock of word-roots and the ability to read authentic texts.…

Reviews five computer programs that will give students the chance to start working cooperatively. Evaluates each program, and gives hardware requirements, cost, age range, supplemental materials available, and ordering information. (TM)

Data from parent reports on 1,803 children, derived from the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories, are used to describe the course of communicative development between 8 and 30 months of age. Found wide variability in children's rate of lexical, gestural, and grammatical development; correlations between several components of language…

This follow up of 24 teenagers who had participated in a study of phonological analysis and reading and spelling abilities 11 years earlier found that phonological awareness in kindergarten was a significant predictor of later word identification and spelling skills. In contrast, socioeconomic status, vocabulary development, word recognition, and…

Examined the effectiveness of four instructional approaches for teaching English vocabulary to Korean elementary school students: (1) paper and pencil, (2) computer-based word-for-word, (3) computer-based word-for-word plus picture, and (4) computer-based context. Found that the computer-based context group outperformed the other groups. (18…

Five children (27 to 47 months old) with mild to borderline levels of mental retardation were given a milieu language intervention program of 3 or 4 small group training sessions weekly. Results indicated the training had a clear facilitative effect on the acquisition and generalized use of common nouns and verbs by four of the subjects.…

Discusses controversy over language, clarity, and experience in educational theory, recommending a language theory that recognizes complexity and difference. Linguistic clarity suppresses differences and multiplicity and reproduces a populist elitism that disempowers educators. People need knowledge and skills to be able to govern and shape…

This article examines four sets of factors that may potentially affect the incidental vocabulary acquisition from oral input of second-language (L2) learners. These include the intrinsic properties of L2 words; the nature of the input; the role of interaction; and individual learner factors. (Contains 85 references.) (MDM)

An American studying for his master's degree in French in France reflects on the experience of advanced second-language learning. The discussion focuses on the stage at which interaction with others replaces formulation of sentences as the primary task and on understanding the power of word choice. (MSE)

This article presents a problem-solving model of vocabulary instruction in content classes and applies it to a social studies lesson for special needs learners. The guidelines of the five-step model include establishing what is known, highlighting the new, generating connections between the "known" and the "new," gathering information, and…