ABSTRACT
There is one class where each and every student speaks out loud every day; one class where every student is expected to use correct grammar in speech; one class where the learner is given words and uses them; one class where pronunciation, enunciation, and inflection are requisite: This class is foreign language. The traditional approach to improving student performance with vocabulary development is based on asking students to 'look up words', write down the definitions, and then use them in a sentence. Vocabulary that focuses on highly contextualized applications in specific fields or disciplines is identified as specialized terminology. Focused classroom conversation is an anchor activity in any foreign language class. Mr. Davidson now requires his students to employ at least five of these words or to supply alternatives that they add to the word bank for every lab. Rachel, a sophomore, describes her experiment in chemistry with words like constricted, diminished, restricted, expanded, trickled, or oozed.
