Investigates the effectiveness of technical vocabulary instruction before, during, and after reading content area materials in biology, government, and economics. Finds no significant differences attributable to the time of instruction. Finds a strong teacher effect. Concludes that the manner in which vocabulary is taught is more important than…

Adolescents (n=25) with learning disabilities were randomly assigned to either mnemonic conditions or experimenter-directed rehearsal conditions and individually taught difficult vocabulary words, half abstract and half concrete. Results included higher scores on both recall and comprehension tests by mnemonically trained students for both…

Discusses how English teachers can work with other departments to promote interdisciplinary approaches to teaching. Describes sharing writing labs; producing television news reports; engaging in a school-wide theme week; an "academic" Olympic Games; vocabulary exercises in the social studies classes; mock trials; and a team-taught social…

Similarity neighborhoods for words in young children's lexicons were investigated using three computerized databases. Results revealed that words in five- and seven-year-olds' lexicons have many fewer similar neighbors. (Author/CB)

Gives a brief overview of vocabulary instruction research and delineates vocabulary instructional guidelines based on research. Recommends ways to use physical education activities for teaching vocabulary, and suggests words that are logically associated with specific physical education activities. (RS)

Describes a tic tac toe game in which students learn vocabulary words in their expressed areas of interest. (MG)

Twenty experienced reading teachers designed and implemented what they considered to be exemplary vocabulary lessons. Transcripts were analyzed for the number of statements relating to word recognition or conceptual development. Results indicate that the majority of teachers provided dual-focused lessons. Although conceptual development…

The keyword mnemonic (KM) was studied in three experiments using 27 university students (15 freshmen) given intensive keyword training. The KM's effectiveness depended on situational factors influencing its ease of implementation. The KM appeared most effective when used selectively and in conjunction with several list presentations at moderate…

Investigates the extent that reading aloud to children in the classroom aids them in acquiring new vocabulary. Finds that oral story reading constitutes a significant source of vocabulary acquisition, whether or not the reading is accompanied by teacher explanation of word meanings. (RS)

Examines the effects of teaching individual word meanings and deriving word meaning from context. Concludes that instruction in individual word meanings effectively teaches specific word meanings, training in deriving meaning from context improves students' ability to derive word meanings, and practice in either method leads to higher levels of…

Four French language classroom activities are suggested, including an exercise sensitizing students to the structure of poetry, a group of games centering on the Eiffel Tower, a series of activities exploring attitudes toward the Eiffel Tower, and a vocabulary and cultural awareness development exercise using the terminology of painting. (MSE)

Reviews research on the language acquisition of spelling and vocabulary that further supports the Input Hypothesis for language acquisition, demonstrates the role of reading in spelling and vocabulary development, and reveals those research results' inconsistencies with two alternative hypotheses. (144 references) (CB)

An overview of the English for Academic/Occupational Purposes (EA/OLP) situation focuses on the recent preoccupation with using simplified, abridged versions of legal cases in many of the available EA/OLP programs to the neglect of legislative use of language. The neglect or overemphasis of either approach will decrease learners' legal language…

Adding German subtitles to German videos that are specifically aimed at aural comprehension development assists learners in acquiring new vocabulary and developing listening comprehension, and also facilitates the transition from reading to comprehending the spoken language. (Author/CB)

Discusses some of the main protagonists in the debate between economists about their own discourse and reviews significant studies by applied linguists in this area. The article suggests that these studies may be grouped according to the categories micro-studies, macro-studies and educational studies. (57 references) (Author/CK)