A study investigated the effect of training Dutch students to learn to derive word meanings from written context. Subjects, 64 grade 6 primary school children, were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group followed eight lessons in their mothertongue (Dutch), while the control group followed their regular lessons in which no attention was given to learning from context. The training consisted of three main elements: a text-driven element in the form of "Wh-questions," a schema-driven element in the form of a definition format, and a stimulus for decontextualization in the form of instruction that entailed "negotiation of meaning." On a paper-and-pencil Contextual Word Learning Test, the experimental group's gain was not statistically significant. Think aloud protocols of the trained students were analyzed to get insight into how often and with what quality elements from the training are used by them. 71....:c;: ...ugzot that the trained students who have gained from the training, in comparison to those who have not, show more awareness of what it takes to find out and define the meaning of an unknown word and more awareness of the need for decontextualization. (Contains 15 references, and 7 tables and 2 figures of data.) (Author/RS) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Effects of the training of a word learning strategy Kees de Glopper' Maartje van Daalen-Kapteijns1 Caro lien Schouten-van Parreren2 1 Centre for the Study of Language Learning and Teaching University of Amsterdam PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY (try' v Yam alaw-leirtillt TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 2 Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences Free University, Amsterdam Paper presented at the AERA 1996 Annual Meeting New York, April 8-12 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. 6 Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Authors address: Kees de Glopper Centre for the Study of Language Learning and Teaching University of Amsterdam Wibautstraat 4 1091 GM Amsterdam 31-20-5251356 (tel) 31-20-5251300 (fax) keesg @educ.uva.nl (e-mail) 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE