by Leo Li Kai-chung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Bibliography: leaves 55-56. / Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction --- p.2 / Chapter Chapter Two --- Analytical Framework / Chapter (1) --- Conceptual Review --- p.5 / Chapter (2) --- Theoretical Relevance Individual Differences in Language Learning --- p.8 / Chapter (3) --- The Studies of Lambert and Gardner Integrative vs. Instrumental Orientation of Second Language Learning --- p.12 / Chapter (4) --- Anomalies Arising Out of Language Learning Attitude Studies Challenge To Lambert's & Gardner's Orientation Theories --- p.17 / Chapter (5) --- Politzer's Learning Behaviour Studies Alternative Explanation To Language Learning Proficiency --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Hypothesis & Data Collection Method --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Findings & Discussion / Chapter (A) --- Findings --- p.37 / Table 1: Personal Data & Background of English Learning Experience of Subjects --- p.39 / Table 2: Orientation by Proficiency --- p.43 / Table 3: Orientation & Proficiency by Low Language Learning Behaviour --- p.44 / Table 4: Orientation & Proficiency by High Language Learning Behaviour --- p.44 / Chapter (B) --- Discussion --- p.45 / Bibliography --- p.55 / Appendix --- p.57 / Questionnaires

by Wang Chuming. / Publication date from spine. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 258-267). / Acknowlegements / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Semantic Structure Theory and Language Learning / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- An overview of Learnability in Language Acquisition --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- UG and Learnability --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Overgeneralization --- p.7 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Learnability in L1 Transfer --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- L2 Studies on Learnability --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- Semantic Structure Theory --- p.12 / Chapter 1.4 --- Representation of Semantic Structure --- p.15 / Chapter 1.5 --- Pinker's Theory of Language Learning --- p.17 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Four Principles --- p.18 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- An Example --- p.22 / Chapter 1.5.3 --- Learnability and Pinker's Theory --- p.23 / Chapter 1.6 --- A Critique of Pinker's Theory of Language Learning --- p.26 / Chapter 1.7 --- The Syntactic Bootstrapping Model --- p.27 / Chapter 1.8 --- Criticisms of the Syntactic Bootstrapping Model --- p.30 / Chapter 1.9 --- A Reconciliation --- p.31 / Chapter 1.10 --- Implications for L2 Learning --- p.33 / Chapter 1.11 --- Adjectival Participles as the Target of Research --- p.35 / Chapter 1.12 --- Summary --- p.38 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Analysis of Adjectival Participles / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2 --- Syntactic Properties --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Inadequacy of the Syntax-based Generalization --- p.43 / Chapter 2.3 --- Syntactic Positions and Their Meanings --- p.44 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Redefining Characterization --- p.47 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Attributive Filter and teh Generic Context --- p.51 / Chapter 2.4 --- Change of State and Its Relevance to the Formation of Prenominal AedPs --- p.54 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- AedPs and the Middle --- p.59 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Unaccusative Verbs --- p.61 / Chapter 2.5 --- AedPs Formed from Non-state-change Verbs --- p.63 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- The Function of the Adverbial Premodifier --- p.63 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Effects of the Identifying Context --- p.64 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Verbs with Implied State-change Meaning --- p.65 / Chapter 2.5.4 --- Stative Verbs --- p.67 / Chapter 2.5.5 --- Biases in Favour of AedPs with Negative Meanings --- p.68 / Chapter 2.6 --- Direct External Cause --- p.69 / Chapter 2.7 --- AingPs Formed from Intransitives --- p.70 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- The Attributive Filter and the Formation of AingPs --- p.70 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Direct Internal Cause --- p.71 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- The Predicate Position and the Formation of AingPs --- p.72 / Chapter 2.7.4 --- Manner Verbs --- p.75 / Chapter 2.8 --- AingPs Formed from Transitives --- p.77 / Chapter 2.8.1 --- Psych Verbs --- p.77 / Chapter 2.8.2 --- Generic Experiencer --- p.79 / Chapter 2.8.3 --- The Generic Causee --- p.81 / Chapter 2.9 --- Summary --- p.85 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Learning Adjectival Participles / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.88 / Chapter 3.2 --- A Brief Overview of Linguistic Findings --- p.88 / Chapter 3.3 --- A Comparative Study of Chinese PVMs --- p.90 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Properties of PVMs --- p.92 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- The O-category --- p.94 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- The S-category --- p.104 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Crosslinguistic Differences and the Learning of Adjectival Participles --- p.106 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- A Model for Leaning Adjectival Participles --- p.108 / Chapter 3.3.6 --- The Role of Formal Differences --- p.110 / Chapter 3.3.7 --- The Rationale for Testing the Attributive Filter and Conflation Classes --- p.112 / Chapter 3.4 --- Summary --- p.114 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Learners' Knowledge of Adjectival Participles / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.115 / Chapter 4.2 --- Study1 --- p.117 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- The Linguistic Materials --- p.118 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Participants --- p.119 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Procedure --- p.121 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Results and Discussion --- p.121 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- A Brief Summary of Study1 --- p.134 / Chapter 4.3 --- Study2 --- p.135 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Subjects --- p.135 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Materials --- p.137 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Procedure --- p.142 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Results and Discussion --- p.143 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- A Brief Summary of Study2 --- p.166 / Chapter 4.4 --- Study3 --- p.168 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Subjects --- p.168 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Materials and Procedure --- p.168 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Results and Discussion --- p.172 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- A Brief Summary of Study3 --- p.178 / Chapter 4.5 --- Study4 --- p.178 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Subjects --- p.180 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Materials --- p.180 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Procedure --- p.183 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Results and Discussion --- p.182 / Chapter 4.5.5 --- A Brief Summary of Study4 --- p.193 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- General Discussion and Conclusions / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.195 / Chapter 5.2 --- Learnability Revisited --- p.195 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Acquisition of the Attributive Filter --- p.196 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Development of Conflation Classes --- p.199 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Negative Evidence --- p.203 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Overgeneralization --- p.206 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Language Transfer --- p.207 / Chapter 5.3 --- Conclusions --- p.211 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Findings on L2 Learning --- p.212 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Linguistic Findings --- p.213 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Future Research --- p.214 / Notes --- p.217 / Appendix A --- p.240 / Appendix B --- p.243 / Appendix C --- p.249 / Appendix D --- p.252 / Appendix E --- p.254 / Appendix F --- p.256 / References --- p.258

前人發現非母語者对言語的感知主要受其母語和聲學因素的影響。但是多數研究集中在音段(segment)方面，鮮有研究關注這些因素如何影響超音段(supra-segment)的感知。母語中的聲調可能使有聲調的語言使用者比無聲調的語言使用者在聲調感知中有更好的發揮，兩組無聲調的語言使用者在各自母語的影響下，對聲調感知的表現也未必一致。本文旨在探索母語和聲學因素如何影響非母語者對廣東話聲調的感知。三組非母語者參加了我們的實驗。普通話組是有聲調的語言使用者, 英語組和法語組是無聲調的語言使用者。實驗一採用AX辨別範式 (AX discrimination) ，實驗材料包括廣東話言語聲調(speech tones)和非言語聲調 (non-speech tones)。實驗結果顯示，被試在聽辨言語聲調和非言語聲調時有不同的表現。在聽辨言語聲調時，一方面三組被試受聲調間的聲學距離影響在某些聲調組有相似表現，但另一方面普通話組在母語聲調的影響下，在總體上和某些聲調組中都比英語和法語組有更好的表現。相反，在聽辨非言語聲調時，三組被試的表現並無明顯的差異。實驗二採用相似度評判範式 (dissimilarity rating)，實驗材料為廣東話言語聲調。實驗結果顯示，被試在母語的影響下，側重不同的感知特徵 (perceptual cues)。普通話組對聲調的調形 (pitch direction) 比較敏感。英語和法語組都只對聲調音高的高低變化 (pitch height)敏感，但此兩組非母語者的感知特徵並不完全相同。綜觀以上所得，我們發現普通話組在母語聲調的幫助下有最好的表現，而英語和法語組因為母語中並無聲調，所以在辨別聲調時表現類似，但評判聲調相似度時則受母語的影響而關注不同的感知特徵。另外，本文在現行的理論模型的框架下討論了我們的實驗結果，並基於此對相關模型作出評價。最後，我們提出母語和聲學因素共同影響非母語者的聲調感知，兩項涉及影響聲調感知的要素應當受到現行理論模型的重視。 / The influences of first language (L1) experience and psychoacoustic factors are well-attested in the perception of non-native segments, but such influence on the perception of non-native tones is still unclear. While the presence of lexical tones in L1 could cause differences in the perception of tones between speakers of tone languages and of non-tone languages, language-specific use of pitch may differentiate speakers of non-tone languages as well. This study conducted two experiments to investigate how L1 experience and psychoacoustic factors affect speakers of tone language (Mandarin) and two non-tone languages (English and French) in the perception of Cantonese tones. In Experiment 1, three groups of subjects with no Cantonese knowledge, native speakers of Mandarin, English and French, participated in an AX discrimination task of speech and non-speech tones in Cantonese. Results showed that the subjects performed differently in the speech and non-speech tasks. In the speech task, while the three L1 groups shared some confusable tone pairs due to acoustic similarity of the tonal stimuli, the Mandarin group had a better performance than the English and French groups and differed from them in specific pairs under the influence of L1 experience. In the non-speech task, however, the three L1 groups did not have significant differences. In Experiment 2, the same subjects participated in a dissimilarity rating task of speech tones. Results indicated that the three L1 groups assigned weight to different dimensions of tones because of the language-specific use of pitch in their L1. While the Mandarin speakers were more sensitive to pitch direction than pitch height, the English and French speakers were similar in only attending to pitch height. Nevertheless, they also differed in terms of the perceptual cues they used. The English speakers attended to the beginning and ending pitch height whereas the French speakers were sensitive to the overall pitch height. In summary, L1 experience with native tones facilitated the Mandarin speakers’ perception of non-native Cantonese tones. The English and French speakers had no difference in discriminating non-native tones due to the lack of lexical tones in their L1, although they were sensitive to different perceptual cues. The findings are discussed with respect to current models of non-native perception, the Perceptual Assimilation Model (PAM) and the Attention to Dimension (A2D) model. Our findings suggest that L1 experience and psychoacoustic similarity of stimuli jointly influence the perception of non-native tones and both factors should be incorporated into the models of speech perception. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Qin, Zhen. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-93). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in also Chinese; appendix A in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.III / 摘要 --- p.IV / Acknowledgements --- p.V / Table of Content --- p.VI / List of Figures --- p.IX / List of Tables --- p.X / Chapter CHPATER 1 --- GENERAL INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Factors in perception of non-native tones --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Our aim --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Our solution --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Thesis Organization --- p.4 / Chapter CHPATER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Modeling cross-linguistic perception --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Category Assimilation Approach---the PAM --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Cue-Weighting Approach---the A2D model --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Comparison of the two models --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3. --- Perception of lexical tones --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The phonemic status of pitch --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3.2. --- Perceptual cues of tones --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Psychoacoustic factors --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4. --- Pitch in Cantonese, Mandarin and English and French --- p.16 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Lexical tones in Cantonese --- p.17 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Lexical tones in Mandarin --- p.18 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Pitch in English and French --- p.19 / Chapter 2.5 --- Research Questions --- p.22 / Chapter 2.6 --- Predictions --- p.22 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- EXPERIMENT ONE --- p.26 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.26 / Chapter 3.2 --- Subjects --- p.27 / Chapter 3.3 --- Materials --- p.31 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Speech stimuli --- p.31 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Non-speech stimuli --- p.34 / Chapter 3.4 --- Procedures --- p.35 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Speech Task --- p.35 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Non-speech task --- p.36 / Chapter 3.5 --- Results and Analysis --- p.37 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Overall performance in the speech task versus non-speech task --- p.37 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Performance for individual tone pairs --- p.40 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Different types of tone pairs --- p.46 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Individual differences --- p.48 / Chapter 3.6 --- Discussion --- p.53 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Overall performance in speech and non-speech tasks --- p.53 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Performance on individual tone pairs --- p.54 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Individual differences --- p.57 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- Comparison with previous studies --- p.57 / Chapter 3.7 --- Summary --- p.58 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- EXPERIMENT TWO --- p.59 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.59 / Chapter 4.2 --- Subjects and Materials --- p.59 / Chapter 4.3 --- Procedures --- p.60 / Chapter 4.4 --- Analysis --- p.61 / Chapter 4.5 --- Results --- p.62 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Number of Dimensions --- p.62 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Tonal distribution --- p.64 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Interpretation of dimensions --- p.64 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Weighting of dimensions and individuals --- p.65 / Chapter 4.6 --- Discussion --- p.66 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- Psychoacoustic factors --- p.66 / Chapter 4.6.2 --- L1 experience --- p.67 / Chapter 4.6.3 --- Comparison with the discrimination task --- p.68 / Chapter 4.6.4 --- Comparison with previous studies --- p.69 / Chapter 4.7 --- Summary --- p.70 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.71 / Chapter 5.1 --- Summary of findings --- p.71 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Psychoacoustic factors --- p.71 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- L1 experience --- p.71 / Chapter 5.2 --- Revisiting the PAM and the A2D model --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The predictions of the two models --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Evaluations of the two models --- p.76 / Chapter 5.3 --- The psycholinguistic representation of lexical tone --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Tone versus Segment --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Tone versus Other prosodic categories --- p.80 / Chapter 5.4 --- Limitations and Future study --- p.82 / Chapter 5.5 --- Conclusion --- p.83 / References --- p.85 / Appendix --- p.94 / Chapter Appendix A- --- The randomized wordlists --- p.94 / Chapter Appendix B- --- Dissimilarity rating answer sheet --- p.95

It is beneficial for Chinese English-learners to improve their communicative competence through being taught in a communicative-based class (especially with the use of task-based language teaching, Nuevo, 2006). However, previous studies revealed that Chinese teachers have had difficulties in engaging students in communicative-based classes (Chen, 2003; Chowdhury & Ha, 2008; Chung & Huang, 2009). Therefore, although communicative-based classes aim to have students engage with using the target language within the class setting, students in China seem resistant — they are not active in communicating with each other or even the teacher (Chen, 2003). The purpose of this Dissertation study was to examine whether teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and autonomy supports might help engage students as well as improve their communicative competence in communicative-based classes. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and autonomy supports, the satisfaction of students’ psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and students’ self-determined motivation, self-regulation, class participation, and their English learning outcomes by assessing a path-analytic model. Before conducting the path-analytic model, I validated the survey items used to measure teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies, teachers’ autonomy supports, students’ psychological needs, students’ self-determined motivation, and students’ self-regulation through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Participants involved in the EFA were similar to participants who were involved in this dissertation research (CFA and path analysis): freshmen and sophomores who were taking communicative-based classes (Communicative English for Chinese Learners) at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. The EFA-surveys were translated into Chinese and back-translated into English, then distributed face-to-face during the month of June 2017, the end of the second semester in the 2016-2017 school year. Items were adjusted based on results of the EFA, and were subsequently used in a CFA and path-analytic analysis. Surveys were again distributed at the end of the first semester in the 2017-2018 school year for CFA and path analysis. CFA results confirmed the factor structures proposed by EFA. Path analyes showed that the initial hypothesized model did not fit the data well, and thus, the model was modified and a final model was selected and discussed. The final model revealed that only teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies predicted students’ satisfaction of their psycholgocial needs to promote intrinsic motivation, while students’ satisfaction of psychological needs mediated the relationship between teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and students’ self-determined motivation, as assumed by the self-determination theory. In addition, students’ self-determination (including their satisfaction of psychological needs and motivational regulation) was positively related to their self-regulaion, class participation, course score, and expectation of the amount of knowledge they had learned, both directly and indirectly. Finally, students’ self-regulation negatively predicted students’ course score — which is contradictory with previous studies — while class participation was positively associated with both students’ scores (as assumed by previous studies) and expectation of the amount of knowledge they had learned. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / June 15, 2018. / Communicative language teaching, English as a foreign language in China, Self-determination theory, Self-regulation, Students' autonomy, Students' English learning outcomes / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeannine E. Turner, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gretchen Sunderman, University Representative; Alysia Roehrig, Committee Member; Yanyun Yang, Committee Member.

Community colleges play an important role in providing first and second generation immigrants access to higher education and the opportunity to earn a postsecondary credential. However, immigrant students may face obstacles in pursuit of a postsecondary degree, particularly second language challenges that can inhibit their success in college-level coursework. This dissertation seeks to provide some of the first evidence on the impact of developmental English and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses on the educational outcomes of language minority students at community college. Using a large, administrative dataset from the City University of New York (CUNY) on applicants and enrollees in the fall 2001 to fall 2007 cohorts, tracked for at least three years to summer 2010, I highlight the diverse demographic and academic outcomes of language minority students at the community colleges, and then conduct two quasi-experimental studies that use a regression discontinuity design and a difference-in-differences approach to identify the effects of developmental education and ESL coursework on this student population. These studies provide evidence that certain features of pre-college English coursework can have potentially positive or negative effects on specific outcomes. In particular, assignment to and enrollment in pre-college reading and writing coursework compared to just writing coursework is tied to positive effects on persistence and perhaps learning, while the longer sequence length in ESL compared to developmental English decelerates language minority students' progression through college and degree attainment.

Based on the findings, a Model of Advanced L2/FL Reading Strategies was proposed to account for strategy use of both good and weak readers, as well as the impact of text difficulty level and text type on their strategy use. The model developed appears to accommodate the complex and rich strategy use of the good and weak EFL readers in this study, and has potential for application to L2/FL readers who share more or less similar features. Finally, this dissertation discusses the theoretical and methodological significance of the study, and possible pedagogical implications to enhance students' strategy use. / The major findings indicated that good and weak readers knew and used the same strategies, and employed bottom-up strategies similarly. The key difference was the greater use of top-down strategies by good readers, which suggests that good readers are more concerned with achieving the overall meaning of the text. One surprising finding was that weak readers used metacognitive strategies more frequently. This finding can be explained in terms of the nature of monitoring activities. / The present study employed think-aloud methods to investigate the patterns of reading strategy use of good and weak advanced EFL readers and also the impact of different text types and text difficulty levels on strategy use. Eight good readers and eight weak readers read twelve texts using think-aloud techniques. The texts selected included two text types, causation and description; and two levels of text difficulty. The collected think-aloud protocols were analyzed to identify the strategies used by the participants, and to develop the Coding Scheme. The Coding Scheme developed includes forty identified strategies, classified into three categories---bottom-up, top-down, and metacognitive---according to their processing operations, which were further broken down into eleven subcategories based on their processing load and functional purposes. / The study also found that text type did not have an impact on the overall strategy use of good and weak readers, and only a slight impact on their choice of certain strategies. On the other hand, text difficulty had a strong impact on good readers' strategy use, but only a slight impact on weak readers'. This showed that good readers can flexibly adapt their wide repertoire of strategies to more difficult reading tasks but weak readers tended to read less flexibly. / Pang Soi Meng. / "August 2006." / Adviser: Peter Skehan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0512. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-380). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

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This qualitative study is introduced through a discussion of peer response groups and the researcher's interest in them. The guiding question of whether peer response groups are as useful for teaching writing ESOL classrooms as in first language classrooms is stated along with supplementary research questions. These are fol lowed by a review of relevant theories and summaries of peer response group hi story, social and cultural factors, and research done on peer response groups in first and additional language classrooms.

Long-term studies with both native and non-native speakers of English have shown that vocabulary can be learned passively or "incidentally" simply through the act of reading, even through reading for pleasure. Generally, studies of incidental vocabulary learning have tested subjects' knowledge of words learned after reading novels or other longer works of prose fiction. Eighty-four students from a short-term ESL program participated as subjects in this study. Subjects were divided into three treatment groups and one control group. All subjects were given a 100-i tern word-recognition pretest, containing 45 test words and 55 dis tractors. The three treated groups were each given three treatments meant to increase their vocabulary knowledge: Vocabulary exercises alone, short story reading alone, and a combination of vocabulary exercises and short story reading (using a short story which contained the words taught in the exercises). Fifteen of the 45 test words were taught under each treatment. All subjects were then given a 45-item multiple-choice post-test, testing the 45 vocabulary words taught in the three treatments. It was hypothesized that story-reading alone would produce the highest gains between pre- and post-test scores, exercises and story together would produce median scores, and exercises alone would produce the lowest scores. Analysis of the data revealed a much different pattern: Story-reading alone actually produced the lowest score gains, while the two treatments involving exercises produced gains that were similarly high. Apparently, vocabulary exercises combined with a short story provided the extra context and practice the subjects needed to learn those words better than did story reading alone. Vocabulary exercises alone produced better scores than story reading alone perhaps because the subjects were accustomed to the task of learning vocabulary words through exercises, and because the task (learning words) was obvious. The subjects were probably not accustomed to learning words simply through reading stories, nor was the task of learning words obvious in that case. Thus, given the special parameters of this study and its subjects, score gains were lowest on the treatment that was expected to produce the highest gains.