204 pages
250 x 168mm
ISBN-10: 1 85856 088 8
ISBN-13: 978 1 85856 088 5
Reprinted 2000

Developing children's word-power in the classroom is the focus of this book. It offers practical approaches and strategies, based on the linguistic, cognitive and social principles affecting children's use of words and their meanings in English as an additional language.
What's in a word aims to develop teachers' understanding of how words and their meanings underpin all children's learning in all curriculum areas. It explores a neglected but crucial aspect of additional language acquisition: dependence of children's academic achievement on lexicon - vocabulary - and provides a guide for teachers to plan and resource a 'word-aware' curriculum which includes attention to children's cultural identities and their home languages.

This ground-breaking book is essential for all teachers of children for whom English is an additional language and also for linguists, educational policy-makers and teacher educators.

Norah McWilliam is Senior Lecturer in Language Education at Bradford and Ilkley Community College and Manager of International Projects in the Department of Teacher Education. She co-edited (with Audrey Gregory) Trentham's 1980's best seller, Looking into Language (now out of print).

...presents the rich and imaginative experience of a teacher. Researchers who want to talk to teachers need to take account of the viewpoint and assumptions in the book. This book provides a clear and engaging access to them. - Schools Library Association, US