Although in some cases I briefly hinted at implications of these experiments for school practice, limitations of space prevent me from dealing with this subject more thoroughly. In this paper I hope to have shown in the first place how much relevant information on presenting words in texts- one of the main topics in vocabulary study - may be gained by starting from a psychological point of view and using the method of thinking aloud
In this framework I analyzed three rather diverse experimental studies - involving adults, young children, pupils of the lowest ability range and different types of texts and tasks - focusing on the possibilities to embed words in meaningful memory systems and on textual and psychological conditions which should be met when presenting words in texts.
Words, capitalize on helping weak pupils to master relevant vocabulary learning and reading strategies. This may even have a positive effect on the learning results of these pupils in other subjects as well.
Pupils of the lowest ability level appeared to need much more time and trials to memorize 15 French words which were presented on vocabulary cards
alternately isolated and in a sentence. So this way of memorizing words is for weak
pupils certainly no solution. Instead, it seems more appropriate to make a distinction between relevant differences concerning vocabulary learning and reading which may or may not be reduced in the French lessons. It seems, for instance, unlikely that French lessons reduce differences in vocabulary knowledge in the mother tongue and general knowledge of the world. Other differences like integrating information from different sources and guessing the meaning of words from the context, might, however, be tackled more successfully in these lessons. Foreign language teaching should, in other words, capitalize on helping weak pupils to master relevant vocabulary learning and reading strategies. This may even have a positive effect on the learning results of these pupils in other subjects as we