Examines the effect annotation type has on second language incidental vocabulary retention in a multimedia reading setting. Compared three annotation types: text-only, picture-only, and a combination of the two. Indicates the combination group outperformed the text-only and picture-only groups on the immediate tests. There was significant…

This paper discusses some of the results of a study conducted in Papua New Guinea on students' comprehension of 45 non-technical words used in science classes. Four words, "component,""devise,""exert," and "random," are considered in detail. (CW)

Presents four brief articles which describe (1) ideas for teaching vocabulary through cooperative learning; (2) ways to include discussion in sustained silent reading; (3) an artistic prewriting activity; and (4) the effects of background television viewing on studying. (RS)

Examined the development of Irish word order patterns. It was found that the 1.5- to 3-year-olds (N=3) studied used subject-initial utterances more frequently than adults in input, and that for both adults and children the elision of the verb "to be" had a significant role in the placement of subjects in the utterances. (42 references)…

A validation study of five checklists for assessing two-year-olds' word production revealed that the lists produced comparable mean production scores, reflected age differences, and preserved individual differences in total production and in production of linguistic categories such as nouns, verbs, open class items, and closed class items.…

Examination of the effects of transferred vocabulary knowledge on college students' (N=24) acquisition of Japanese linguistic knowledge, verbal processing skills, and reading comprehension indicated that vocabulary knowledge was most highly correlated with reading comprehension. This initial advantage magnified its effects over time as task…

Computers can be used in a study skills program for students with mild disabilities to enhance text comprehension in content areas, develop vocabulary, organize and monitor errors of written work, and increase research skills for information location. (MSE)

Examined were the effects of reversing the color of stimulus materials used to teach survival vocabulary to 16 spastic cerebral palsied and 16 other multihandicapped adolescents with mental retardation. Compared to black-on-white cards, white-on-black cards improved the acquisition performance of both groups, but did not affect retention.…

Examines features of the negotiation of meaning between learners and teachers of English-as-a-Second-Language, and distinguishes between the declarative knowledge that words have particular meanings and the procedures typically employed for realizing this declarative knowledge. Negotiation exercises based on a checklist of the dimensions of…

Describes the evolution of the Rochester Institute of Technology's course on reading and thinking in science and technology for hearing-impaired students, featuring instructional enrichment and problem-solving components that reinforce students' application of problem-solving approaches beyond the course. (CB) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on…

To assess the effects of discussion on vocabulary learning, 38 children in two intact fifth-grade classes were divided into three subgroups and taught science vocabulary on three successive days. The discussion subgroup outperformed a non-discussion subgroup and a subgroup that anticipated involvement in discussion but was instructed without…

Some 76 hearing children in prekindergarten classes, half receiving sign instruction and half not, were tested on English vocabulary acquisition. Children who received the sign instruction scored significantly higher on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test than children receiving sign instruction. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/LB)

Presents an exploratory study on the connotations of certain French words for a mixed-culture group of French teachers. This study indicated that many connotations were shared by nonnative-speaker as well as native-speaker group members. This phenomenon can be explained in terms of both encyclopedic knowledge and multiple group identities. (13…

Presents some suggestions for the writing of poetry to expand vocabulary in the target language. Since poetry demands preciseness, writing poetically helps students develop this language skill. (Author/CK)

In a study of language anxiety, a video camera was introduced at various points in a vocabulary learning task. Observations of first-year university students of French revealed significant increases in anxiety when the camera was introduced, along with concomitant deficits in vocabulary acquisition. Implications for remedial action are discussed.…