Learning to read requires knowledge of word meanings for those words most commonly encountered in basic reading materials. Many young students lack the basic vocabulary knowledge needed to facilitate learning to read. Two randomized studies were conducted to test the effects of an online, computer-adaptive vocabulary instruction program designed…

This article reports on the design and use of a profiler for lexical sophistication (i.e., use of advanced vocabulary), which was created to assess the lexical richness of intermediate and advanced Swedish second language (L2) learners' French and Italian. It discusses how teachers' judgments (TJs) of word difficulty can contribute to the…

THE 1926 BUCKINGHAM-DOLCH WORD STUDY WAS REPLICATED TO DETERMINE THE PRESENT-DAY VALIDITY OF THE 1926 BUCKINGHAM-DOLCH LIST. APPROXIMATELY 8,000 CHILDREN IN GRADES 2 THROUGH 6 FROM SIX SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON, WERE ASKED TO LIST ALL THE WORDS THEY COULD THINK OF WITHIN A 15-MINUTE PERIOD. RESPONSES WERE KEY PUNCHED ONTO DATA…

Results indicate that a small number of high frequency words continues to dominate children's writing. However, the actual words within this core appear to indicate a noticeable change from previous studies done in the U.S.A. (Author)

A study reveals that lexical borrowing in Spanish, from a variety of languages including Latin, French, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Provencal, and Catalan, accounts for 41 percent of the basic Spanish vocabulary, with variation in source according to historical period. (MSE)

Examines the original validity of the 220-word Dolch Basic Sight Vocabulary, compiled in 1936, and considers whether it accounts for a large percentage of words in current reading usage. (BF)

Research studies concerned with the development, utility, and evaluation of various types of word lists are reported in this bibliography. Included are such topics as vocabulary loads in various reading materials, phonic generalizations applied to word lists, and basic speaking, writing, or reading vocabularies of various groups. In Part I, 51…

Outlines a method of determining which words should be selected as the basic vocabulary for French courses. Rather than using frequency as its criterion, this method defines lexical utility in terms of definition, inclusion, extension, and combination. The Quebec list and the Francais Fondamental are evaluated. (EJS)

A study was conducted to answer the question, "What are the basic words in a list of words kindergarten through sixth grade students will frequently encounter in their reading?" The study was limited to the words the students would encounter in their textbooks (including basals). A corpus of 7,230 words was then analyzed by two raters to…

Reviews the history, principles, merits, and weaknesses of "Fundamental French" (FF) as seen 25 years after its elaboration. Focuses on the two chief components of this approach, a frequency based vocabulary and a thematic vocabulary, and discusses options open to present-day linguists for a reevaluation of FF. (MES)

The work reported in this paper is an offshoot of a project started in early 1986 and designed to produce a comparison between the vocabulary in the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) texts and the vocabulary found in contemporary non-technical English writing. This study investigated the unique words and differences in frequency…

ALTHOUGH THE PURPOSE OF THIS DICTIONARY IS TO "GIVE A FULL AND ACCURATE PORTRAYAL OF THE BASIC NATIVE KOREAN VOCABULARY," SOME OF THE COMMON AND USEFUL CHINESE AND EUROPEAN LOANWORDS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AS WELL. THE AUTHORS (SAMUEL E. MARTIN, YANG HA LEE, AND SUNG-UN CHANG) HAVE FOLLOWED THE HANKUL SPELLING CONVENTIONS OF THE…

An approach to language textbooks evaluation based on objective criteria and relying on data easily obtained by means of computers, such as word frequency lists, is proposed. The importance of vocabulary acquisition in language learning is emphasized. Accordingly, word selection and rate of repetition are seen as central evaluation criteria. (MES)

A study examined the English vocabulary of English textbooks used in Swedish upper secondary schools to distinguish differences between the vocabulary of the textbooks and modern, everyday English as represented by newspapers, books and the colloquial language. Fifty-six books were included in the sample. In the selection process, account was made…