Eubanks, A. C. & Ferguson, W. F. (1987). Hispanic ESL students and the learning of nouns under three treatment conditions. Reading Improvement, 24, 121-125.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of three treatment conditions in the teaching of selected English words to Central and South Americans who had come to the United States specifically to learn to speak and read English. Ninety of those who failed to correctly pronounce target words upon screening were randomly selected and assigned (30 per group) to three treatment conditions for instruction in identifying the target words. Treatment conditions consisted of presenting the words in isolation, in combination with a picture, and in context in a sentence. Findings indicated that the best treatment conditions were (in order from best to worst) word with a picture, word in isolation, and word in a sentence. However, when tested for retention after 24 hours, the order than became word in sentence, word in isolation, and word with a picture. The results of this study should have applicability for other ESL institutions, high schools and colleges which teach foreign languages, and perhaps even adults education ABE classes.