Advanced students can grasp the meaning of many new words from clues in the context. Such words often occur as obvious synonyms, as summarizing words, in comparisons and associations, etc. Two types of exercises are presented which may help to develop the students' ability to recognize such words. (IFS/WGA)

Word formation is seen as receiving too little attention in foreign language teaching; its study increases auditory and reading understanding. Practical suggestions are given for collecting and arranging material, and for analyzing the structure of words. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

The acquisition of textual competence in a language occurs through the acquisition of both lexical competence and knowledge of word order that allows the construction of well-formed sequences. Exercises that help develop vocabulary and word order skills in French as a foreign language are presented. (MSE)

Reports on three experiments that explored the metalinguistic competence of 26 deaf students to segment and manipulate their fingerspelled lexicons. Indicates their metalinguistic sophistication correlated selectively and significantly with reading success. Also reports on a training experiment that showed that deaf students identified more sight…

Investigates the extent to which the content of 55 college vocabulary texts is consistent with current research and theory on vocabulary instruction. Recommends less reliance on memorization and more emphasis on deep understanding and independent vocabulary development. (SKC)

Study of Danish language needs of an immigrant student leads to the assertion that concepts pertaining to first- and second-language vocabulary need revision, particularly regarding certain minority languages and certain fields, including the distinction between "active" and "passive" vocabulary and first-language and…

A classroom game whose objectives are interpersonal contact and competence and a familiarity with French recreational activities teaches students to invite others and get themselves invited to participate in a variety of games and leisure activities and to make the necessary arrangements. (MSE)

Production of the deictic verbs "bring" and "take" was evaluated among 88 normally functioning elementary school children. Results showed that data evaluation procedures greatly influenced conclusions, the second-to-emerge form was easier to learn in a conventional way, and the second term was the proactive stimulus for…

The study evaluated the effects of using a language experience approach over a 3-month period with kindergarten and first grade hearing impaired students. The language experience approach encouraged growth in vocabulary, reading, and writing skills, as well as in self confidence and self esteem. (Author/DB)

It is proposed that, although lexical derivation has received some attention among linguists, little interest is shown in its pedagogical implications. Hypotheses about the mechanisms of derivation are outlined, current pedagogical applications are described, and further practical suggestions are made, using examples from English, French, and…

Describes a study in which elementary school children received different types of instruction about terminology used in explaining the water cycle. Results indicated that the group of students receiving hands-on instruction demonstrated a better understanding of the terms than did the other groups involved in the study. (TW)

Investigates the influence of the prefix "o-/ob-" on the choice of case for nominal objects of prefixed verbs, using a semantic field analysis. Focuses on four semantic functions: (1) objective; (2) locative; (3) factitive; and (4) comparative. The results are useful both to theoretical linguists and to teachers of Russian. (LMO)

Provides information about a classroom implementation experiment in vocabulary research. A daily journal was kept to help in conducting the experiment, a secondary goal of which was to determine whether the new instruction was more or less effective. (NKA)

Instructional strategies targeted for differentiating between German verb synonyms have involved: (1) extended paraphrases or definitions in German and/or English; (2) reference to stylistic and/or contextual differences; and (3) the use of syntactic and/or semantic features. Application of these strategies is shown with the…

Proposes a language teaching methodology based on experience and theory in second language instruction and applied linguistics and characterized by practicality in the classroom. (MSE)