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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of word-related factors (i.e. frequency, range, dispersion and cognateness) on first-language English (L1E) readers' (n = 20) and second-language English (L2E) readers' (n = 20) incidental acquisition of vocabulary through the reading of an authentic novel.

Participants read A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, a 58,686 token (word) English language novel containing Slovos, that is, words from Nadsat, a futuristic, foreignized teen talk invented by Burgess. Upon finishing the novel, the participants took two unexpected vocabulary tests, one for meaning recognition and the other for meaning recall.

The results of this study indicate that word-related factors significantly correlate with the word meaning recall test scores of both groups. However, the regression models of meaning recall for the two groups showed that dispersion was the most robust predictor, which implies that the participants recalled more word meanings when the novel had a more even distribution of the unknown target words. The meaning recognition test scores showed cognates were a significant predictor for the L1E readers but not for L2E readers.

This study marks the first attempt in the field to investigate the relative contribution of frequency, range and dispersion – a closely bound set of word-related factors – to both L1E and L2E readers' incidental acquisition of vocabulary through reading an authentic novel. Considering the important role of dispersion, the current study suggests that developers of graded readers and children's literature should more evenly distribute unknown target words in their books. Doing so will better facilitate both L1E and L2E readers' acquisition of those words. The study also addresses a fallacy of methodology regarding incidental vocabulary acquisition by examining the effect of the cognateness of the foreignized words embedded in A Clockwork Orange. The L1E readers' sensitivity to cognates implies that cognate-word awareness-raising activities are necessary to learning a foreign language, especially if that language has many cognates in common with English, such as Spanish.

This study aims to investigate the effects of word internal morphological form variation on adult first language (L1) (n = 20) incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading.

Participants were given a 37,611-token English novel containing pseudo words, placed throughout the text by the novelist. Two unexpected vocabulary assessments were administered at the completion of the reading task.

Results showed statistically significant effects for morphological form variation, with the readers having incidentally acquired more words whose tokens did not vary in form (i.e. no exposure to inflectional or derivational variants). However, a large effect size was present only for low-frequency words (two-four exposures).

Discussion of the results is given regarding the feasibility of enhancing adult L1 college readers’ morphological awareness through extensive reading and attention-drawing tasks.

Despite their motivational appeal to learners, innovative and technologically advanced computer simulation games targeting native English speakers frequently remain beyond the competence of ESL learners as independent didactic tools. Guided by Chapelle’s (2001) criteria for determining CALL task appropriateness, this paper illustrates how the popular authentic simulation, The SIMs, can be adapted to enhance vocabulary learning through supporting materials. Adult ESL learners completed a five‐week unit, experiencing different conditions of supplemental materials while completing tasks using The SIMs. The participants received mandatory supplemental materials in one condition, voluntary access to supplemental materials in the second, and no supplemental materials in the third. The results indicate a statistically significant increase in vocabulary acquisition for the first condition. Student feedback suggests the supplemental materials were beneficial for successful task completion. Thus, how authentic computer simulation tasks are structured and supported appears to have a considerable bearing on the appropriateness of the task.

To examine how vocabulary instruction can lead toward students connecting the known to the familiar with the unknown.

Theoretical advances in vocabulary acquisition and utility are discussed in relation to word reading and knowledge formation. Extending theory requires pedagogical planning and reinforcement to promote skill learning first toward preparing students to have the capacity to acquire vocabulary across the content areas and in turn, understand and apply that knowledge toward problem solving.

Students must be scaffolded toward connecting what they know with that which is familiar and eventually with the unknown; only then can we extend learning beyond our guidance and supervision. Students must be taught how and when to use vocabulary acquisition strategies so they are prepared to overcome difficulties associated with word meanings in independent reading.

It is timely for rich, varied, and complete vocabulary instruction to serve as the basis for learning across the curriculum. Words are the predecessors of tomorrow’s learning and we must consider how to best provide instruction for students who overuse sight words, text shorthand more than they write formally, and even substitute inappropriate language based upon a lack of vocabulary knowledge and ability to articulate their feelings.

To explore the potential of conversations with an authentic audience through blogging for enriching in young writers the understanding of the communicative function of writing, specifically language and vocabulary use.

We situate our work in the language acquisition model of language learning, in which learners develop linguistic competence in the process of speaking and using language (Krashen, 1988; Tomasello, 2005). We also believe that language learning benefits from formal instruction (Krashen, 1988). As such, in our work, we likened engaging in blogging to learning a language (here, more broadly conceived as learning to write) through both natural communication (acquisition) and prescription (instruction), and we looked at these forms of learning in our study.

We were interested in the communicative function of language learning (Halliday, 1973; 1975; Penrod, 2005) among young blog writers, because we see language learning as socially constructed through interaction with other speakers of a language (Tomasello, 2005; Vygotsky, 1978).

The readers and commenters in this study supported young writers in their language study by modeling good writing and effective language use in their communication with these writers. Young writers also benefited from direct instruction through interactions with adults beyond classroom teachers, in our case some of the readers and commenters.

Blogging can extend conversations to audiences far beyond the classroom and make writing a more authentic endeavor for young writers. Teachers should take advantage of such a powerful tool in their writing classrooms to support their students’ language study and vocabulary development.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a discoursal approach on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. A Quick Placement Test (QPT) was used to select 60 intermediate EFL learners as the participants of this study. Then, they were divided into experimental and control groups. Each group consisted of 30 learners. Prior to the treatment, the participants of both groups were given a pre-test to determine their reading comprehension levels. The experimental group was exposed to the Hymes’ model. In the control group the researcher used a traditional approach for teaching the reading skill. Then a post-test was administered to both groups. An independent samples t-test between post-tests of the study and a paired-samples t-test between the pre-test and post-test of the groups of the study were run. The results of the study indicated that applying Hymes’ model improved the learners’ reading comprehension while the traditional approach did not.

ﻛﺎ ن اﻟ ﮭد ف ﻣ ن ھذه اﻟ د را ﺳﺔ ھو اﻟﺗﺣ ﻘﯾ ق ﻓ ﻲ ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر اﻟﻧﮭ ﺞ اﻟﺗد ر ﯾﺑ ﻲ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻗد ر ة اﻟ ط ﻼ ب ا ﻹ ﯾ ر اﻧ ﯾﯾ ن ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗ ﻌﻠ م اﻟﻘ ر ا ءة واﻟ ﻛﺗﺎﺑ ﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾﺔ ﻛﻠ ﻐﺔ أ ﺟﻧﺑﯾﺔ. ﺗم ا ﺳﺗ ﺧدام ا ﺧﺗﺑﺎ ر ﺗ ﺣدﯾد اﻟ ﻣ ﺳﺗ و ى اﻟ ﺳرﯾ ﻊ (QPT) ( ﻟﻠﺗﺄ ﻛد ﻣ ن ﺗ ﺟﺎﻧ س ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ اﻹ ﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾ ﺔ ﻛﻠ ﻐﺔ أ ﺟﻧﺑﯾ ﺔ اﻟذﯾ ن ﻛﺎﻧ وا ﻓ ﻲ ﻓ ﺻ ﻠﯾ ن د را ﺳﯾﯾ ن. ﺛم، ﺗم ﺗﻘ ﺳﯾ ﻣﮭم ﺑ ﺷﻛل ﻋﺷواﺋ ﻲ إﻟ ﻰ ﻣ ﺟﻣوﻋﺎ ت ﺗ ﺟرﯾﺑﯾ ﺔ وﻣراﻗﺑ ﺔ. ﻛل ﻣ ﺟﻣوﻋﺔ ﺗﺗﺄﻟ ف ﻣ 30 ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣﺎ. ﻗﺑ ل اﻟ ﻌ ﻼج، ﺗم إ ﻋطﺎ ء اﻟ ﻣ ﺷﺎ رﻛﯾ ن ﻣ ن ﻛ ﻼ اﻟ ﻣ ﺟﻣوﻋﺗﯾ ن ﻗﺑ ل ا ﻻﺧﺗﺑﺎ ر ﻟﺗ ﺣدﯾد ﻣ ﺳﺗ وﯾﺎ ت اﻟ ﻔ ﮭم اﻟ ﻘ ر ا ءة ﻟ دﯾ ﮭم. ﺗ ﻌر ﺿ ت اﻟﻣ ﺟ ﻣو ﻋ ﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﺟ ر ﯾﺑﯾ ﺔ ﻟﻧ ﻣو ذ ج اﻟ ﺗ ر اﺗﯾ ل . ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣ ﺟ ﻣو ﻋ ﺔ اﻟ ﺿ ﺎﺑ ط ﺔ، ا ﺳ ﺗ ﺧ دم اﻟ ﺑﺎ ﺣ ث اﻟﻣﻧ ﮭ ﺞ اﻟ ﺗﻘﻠﯾد ي ﻟﺗد ر ﯾ س ﻣﮭﺎ ر ة اﻟ ﻘ ر ا ءة. ﺛم ﺗدا ر ﺑ ﻌد ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر ﻟ ﻛ ﻼ اﻟ ﻔ ر ﯾﻘﯾ ن . ﺗم إ ﺟ ر ا ء ا ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر ﻣ ﺳ ﺗﻘ ل ﻟ ﻌﯾﻧﺎ ت t ﺑﯾن ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑ ﺎ ر ﯾ ن اﻟﻼ ﺣ ﻘﯾ ن ﻟﻠد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ و ا ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر t اﻟﻣﻘﺗ ر ن ﺑﺎﻟ ﻌﯾﻧﺎ ت ﺑﯾ ن ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر اﻟﻣ ﺳ ﺑ ق و ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر اﻟﻼ ﺣ ق ﻟ ﻣ ﺟ ﻣو ﻋ ﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ. أ ﺷ ﺎ ر ت ﻧﺗﺎﺋ ﺞ اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ إﻟﻰ أ ن ﺗ ط ﺑﯾ ق ﻧ ﻣو ذ ج ھ ﺎﯾ ﻣز ﻗد ﺣ ﺳ ن ﻣ ن ﻓ ﮭم اﻟ ﻘ ر ا ءة ﻟﻠﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣﯾ ن ﻓ ﻲ ﺣ ﯾ ن أ ن اﻟ ﻧ ﮭ ﺞ اﻟ ﺗﻘﻠﯾد ي ﻟ م ﯾﻔ ﻌل ذﻟ ك

The purpose of this paper is to explain how public libraries have been instrumental in early child school literacy teaching and learning. Most African public schools do not usually afford enough core textbooks and supplementary readers.

This was a qualitative case study in Western Kenya amongst public library staff members, public primary school teachers and parents of library children clients. The following questions were addressed: What is the book situation in public primary schools in the study site? What school-type literacy-related services are offered by the sampled public library? and What are library staff members’, teachers’ and parents’ feelings about the public library services offered? Observations, interviews and document studies were used to collect data. Data were analysed thematically.

Public schools do not have enough core textbooks and the situation is worse for supplementary readers; the public library branch studied offers critical school-type literacies to school children both at the library building as well as at public schools registered with it; and library staff members, teachers, and parents express positive feelings about the services offered.

This was a case study whose findings might not apply to the larger situation and the study did not confirm actual literacy benefits of the library services amongst school children by, for instance, conducting literacy tests. The findings are, however, an index to the possible situation in the macro context.

The relevant stakeholders should find ways of co-opting public libraries as associates of public schools in literacy teaching. This relationship is not straight forward in Kenya.

The findings reported are from original research.

This chapter examines factors impacting vocabulary development in preschool dual language learners, providing a cultural and linguistic perspective on vocabulary instruction in this population. Through a multidisciplinary review of the research literature, instructional strategies that can support vocabulary development in this population are identified. The chapter concludes with a detailed illustration of how these strategies can be incorporated into a culturally linguistically responsive vocabulary approach for Latino preschoolers.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the explicit teaching of information text schema with vocabulary instruction to primary-aged students in Hong Kong international education.

Data were collected through three quasi-experimental studies with different age groups and participants. Each study divided participants into two randomly assigned groups, either informational texts (IT) or vocabulary building (VB). Impact was evaluated with gain scores on a standardized reading comprehension test and researcher-designed cloze tests of fiction and nonfiction passages.

The explicit teaching of IT can benefit student reading comprehension from an early age, particularly to first language (L1) English students and possibly second language (L2) English learners. School reading programmes should include opportunities for students to experience IT (nonfiction) and fiction materials, and build their vocabulary through incidental learning and explicit teaching. For IT, they should be exposed to: layout – e.g., headings, sub-headings, glossary, and index; and content – photographs and specific/technical vocabulary. For fiction-based texts and VB, the following themes should be covered by younger aged students: antonyms, synonyms, and affixes.

Several limitations apply to this study which will need to be addressed in future studies. These include: the random sampling of students from the overall student population was not an option, given the necessity of voluntary participation and avoiding disruption to school routines. This study used meta-analysis to aggregate results across multiple comparisons largely because of the extremely small samples available. The data show large standard errors as a consequence of small numbers of participants. Hence, the current results, notwithstanding the power of meta-analysis, need to be validated with much larger samples in future studies.

This paper suggests that greater comprehension and cloze performance among L1 students was found due to the teaching of IT compared to vocabulary training, with the reverse result for L2 English learners.