Considers solutions to beginning readers' problems with decoding, syntax, semantics, text organization, and differences between spoken and written language. (DD)

Report on the Course sponsored by the Institut fur deutsche Sprache (Institute for the German Language) and funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. (RS)

Discusses the principle of lexical functions to demonstrate its applicability to the problem of word collocations in the acquisition of German as a second language. Presents sample exercises, focusing on the lexical combinability of words and utilizing constant meaning relations which are expressed through the principle of lexical function. (MES)

Surveys the main results obtained in a study of syntactic ambiguities in English, and discusses their most important implications for general and applied linguistics. Concludes that awareness of the linguistic treatments of ambiguity can be of great help to the teacher in developing students' competence. (MES)

Suggests two techniques to help students look carefully at language. The first involves students in reacting favorably, unfavorably, or neutrally to a list of words and then discussing the list; in the second, students create a brand name and an advertising campaign for green beans. (TJ)

Presents a systematized framework of contexts to help reduce ambiguity and confusion in teaching "falloir" and "pouvoir" in the "passe compose" or "imparfait." (AM)

Provides three exercises to help students appreciate the power and control symbols have, and learn that words have different meanings for different persons. (TJ)

Proposes a method for teaching vocabulary in the second language classroom, which associates one word (an "identification term") with a string of semantically-related synonyms. (AM)

Presents a novel approach, relying on linguistic principles of semantics, to teach grammatical usage in Spanish as a second language. (AM)

Asserts that Thomas's atheoretical posture is not realistically possible. Makes three counter-arguments: humans may naturally be theorizing creatures; Thomas uses theory to argue against theory; and the problem is not "theory" but particular theories. (SK)

Children's acquisition of vocabulary is essential for gains in reading comprehension and reading development. Struggling readers often do not make gains in their reading comprehension because they have a limited reading vocabulary. Enhancing the vocabulary development and growth for children who are experiencing reading difficulties enables them…

Despite the clear and longstanding connection between meaning vocabulary and reading comprehension, programs designed to teach vocabulary have often had surprisingly little impact on overall reading ability. One possible reason for this small effect is that teaching methods may not make this vocabulary-to-comprehension connection explicit for the…

The purpose of this study was to find out how teachers use questions in classroom discourse to scaffold student thinking and help students construct scientific knowledge. The study was conducted in large-class settings where the medium of instruction was English although the students were non-native speakers of the language. Six teachers teaching…

Adults use linguistic context to assist in understanding words that may have multiple meanings. However, elementary school children are not able consistently to use this method of clarifying ambiguity. Research has shown that a three-component training method can help upper elementary school students develop the use of linguistic context. To…