Measurement of adult English as a second language students' reading comprehension of metaphors indicated that idiomatic language resulted in lower comprehension. Because the vehicles of many metaphors have become lost and are not retrievable from surface structure, it may be necessary to teach metaphors as vocabulary items. (Author/CB)

Four classroom activities for French language instruction are described: an exercise focusing on differences in national cuisine and eating habits; a game about the French Revolution; analysis of and activities using a personal letter; and discussion based on a fable. (MSE)

An experimental study involving 32 second-grade poor readers found that students involved in dyad reading groups (buddy reading groups) made greater achievement gains on all reading outcomes (vocabulary and comprehension) than the matched control students. (IAH)

Offers strategies to make vocabulary study relevant to students. (MS)

Patterns of growth in one language in relation to growth in the other and also with respect to growth in both languages were studied in a group of 20 bilingual (English/Spanish) infants ages 10 to 30 months. The rate and pace of development were similar in both groups; differences among the bilinguals included their use of "referential"…

Notes that vocabulary provides access to mathematical concepts and that several kinds of vocabulary--technical, subtechnical, general, and symbolic--should be taught during each lesson. Gives 13 practical suggestions for planning and implementing math vocabulary instruction. (ET)

Six children were visited in their homes every 2 weeks for 18 months from the age of 6 months to observe their developing comprehension and production of words. Results showed both similarities and individual differences in patterns of early comprehension. A close relationship was noted between early production and comprehension of words;…

Compares the effectiveness of a traditional vocabulary instruction unit with an alternative unit which applied the concepts of procedural and conditional knowledge to secondary students' word learning. Discusses key characteristics that made the alternative unit successful. (SR)

Investigates the relationship between the relative difficulty of passages and the number of unknown words in passages. Finds little support for the theory that free reading results in large vocabulary growth. Calls into question the practice of devoting large amounts of classroom time to free reading if the purpose is to increase vocabulary or…

This study with 12 2nd- and 3rd-grade students with mild disabilities compared memory for new reading words following instructional sessions in which either word meaning or phonic cues were emphasized. The phonic instruction resulted in a greater number of words remembered either within sentences or on word lists. (Author/DB)

Demonstrates that giving nursery school children opportunity to talk to the teacher while involved in physical activity enhances learning. Shows that talk enable understanding of the activity engaged in, as well as coherent and fluent expression of ideas and increased mastery of vocabulary. Identifies the teacher's roles as listener, questioner,…

Presents briefly a variety of ways to strengthen reading across the curriculum for preservice teachers at the undergraduate level. Discusses using thematic units to integrate the curriculum, developing three-level questioning guides, creating and presenting pattern or study guides, building vocabulary, and using writing to build comprehension. (SR)

This study found that word learning ability in only 10 of 20 children (ages 7-10) with hearing impairment (HI) was comparable to performance of 20 hearing children matched for receptive vocabulary knowledge. Degree of hearing loss was not related to language or word-learning abilities. Results suggest the coexistence of a language impairment for…

Focuses on the teaching of language "per se," in the part of the lesson that often precedes work with a passage and the interactional activities that result from that exploitation. The optimum three-way split between formal language work, grammar-awareness raising, and communicative activities will vary from class to class. (CK)

Attempts to determine whether children can use social-pragmatic cues to determine "what kind" of referent, object, or action an adult intends to indicate with a novel word. Doubts that children assume that a novel word refers to whatever nameless object is present. Suggests that lexical acquisition rests fundamentally on children's…