Examines language practices in rural and urban schools in Burundi, looking at specific episodes in two classrooms that show how Kirundi/French code contrasts contribute to the marginalization of Kirundi to the status of village language and reinforce the dominance of French as a vehicle for knowledge of the larger world outside school. (eight…

Discusses advantages of learning Latin, including enriching vocabulary and higher verbal test scores on the SATs; describes extracurricular activities based on Latin; and includes a lesson plan for library media specialists, suitable for intermediate grades whose curriculum includes ancient Roman life, that integrates language arts and social…

This article highlights the link between lexical and phonological acquisition by considering learning by children beyond the 50-word stage and by applying cognitive models of spoken word processing to development. The effects of lexical and phonological variables on perception, production, and learning are discussed in the context of a…

These two single-subject, alternating treatment design experiments with a total of seven young children (Navajo speaking and Spanish speaking) found that receptive learning of novel words in a second language reaches a preestablished criterion in fewer trials under a bilingual compared with a monolingual condition. (Author/DB)

Over a school year, researchers had first graders talk and write about paintings, picture books, and films while participating in a program that introduced them to visual literacy. Researchers found that, over the school year, children's choices of pictures and volume of language changed and that urban and suburban children differed. (SM)

Describes a learning system developed at Wirral Metropolitan College (UK) for self-access language provision, linked to a competence accreditation scheme. The competency-based approach is suited to languages because it offers a measure of built-in accountability. Flexible workshop provision is an effective means of delivering languages to a broad…

Reports results of research on the effects of open education on student outcomes, using classroom authority structure analysis. Maintains that student outcomes are contingent on the congruence between formal and informal authority structure. Concludes that more congruent authority structure was related to higher reading comprehension and…

Possible adaptations of textbooks for children with learning disabilities include modifying the textbook (tape recording the text, using high-interest low-vocabulary materials); altering instructional procedures (teaching textbook structure, previewing, providing advance organizers, preteaching critical vocabulary); and teaching textbook reading…

This study examined linguistic interdependence in 98 bilingual Turkish/Dutch children of Turkish background living in the Netherlands since birth, to determine whether language and literacy skills can be transferred from 1 language. The results indicated that, although the transference of lexicon and syntax skills was limited, pragmatic,…

Suggests effective music instruction helps children use extramusical analogies to describe what they hear. Introduces music vocabulary, and asks questions that guide students to complete musical descriptions. Claims meaningful description is the result of training that is focused on developing listening skills. (NL)

Describes a classroom experiment in cooperative learning, in which economics students were grouped into learning teams and given a computer simulation package to learn the effects of fiscal/monetary policy on various economic variables. Results included thorough coverage of course material, greater student interest, better discussion, higher…

Presents eight language learning principles that suggest ways instructors can integrate language in their classrooms to reinforce anything from vocabulary to thinking and social skills in the form of group and pair work. The principles were developed to improve an imbalance between students' skills and teachers' expectations at Peninsula Technikon…

Discusses a study of grades six, eight, and ten students in the Netherlands to whom grade-appropriate measures of reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge were administered in their native language, Dutch, as well as in English. The aim was to explore relative contributions to native language and foreign language reading comprehension of a…

Presents a classification scheme for reading-related exercises advocated in English-as-a-Foreign-Language textbooks. The scheme proposes a hierarchy of the degree and type of mental processing required by various vocabulary exercises. The categories of classification are selective attention, recognition, manipulation, interpretation and…

A project used a concordancing program with a corpus of academic texts to introduce students unfamiliar with the language of academic discourse to some important, frequent, and significant items in English academic vocabulary. It has developed materials for classroom and independent use intended for native speakers as well as learners of English…