Two tasks were used to choose between two rival accounts--cognitive vs. pragmatic--of children's failure to comprehend metaphors. A total of 120 children, in three age groups (6, 7, and 9 years) were given either an explication or a multiple choice task to assess comprehension of 15 novel comparisons expressed in five alternative forms varying in…

A study investigated the functional relationship that exists when mental ability and language competence are separately and simultaneously measured with regard to their influence on the effective treatment of verbal information. Data were gathered from 100 men and women, aged 20-60, who were tested for language competence, reading comprehension,…

A total of 224 subjects participated in a study to determine how children and adults comprehend logical connectives. Specifically, the study examined the effects of age, content, and practice on the encoding and combination of logical relationships expressed by six types of logical connectives: conjunction, disjunction, conditionality,…

This article discusses a study undertaken by the British Ministry of Education to determine the effect of offering French to a much wider age and ability range at the elementary level than had been the case in the past. The study is based on the Nuffield project, a pilot project in French instruction carried out in selected primary schools in…

The development of a method for teaching oral comprehension in a second language depends on an understanding of the nature of comprehension and on an analysis of the problems that arise in the learning process. These issues can be approached by a theoretical investigation of comprehension from a psycholinguistic point of view and by the…

This paper describes the design and practical application of a program called "Listening" which has been developed to help young learners of English as a second language gain some strategies for comprehension in their new language. The long-range goal of the program is to develop the learner's active involvement in thinking about the facts he…

The purpose of this publication is to help teachers identify the levels which children have attained in their thinking as they express their attitudes, values, and behaviors through oral language. Provided are (1) sample questions applicable to various maturity levels to enable teachers to gauge the level of difficulty of their classroom…

Comprehension for the foreign language learner is discussed, and it is claimed that comprehension is not a by-product of the other skills but should be taught and tested throughout a course of study. The channel or medium used in communication will influence the understanding of the message. Differences involved in reading and listening…

Development of The Assessment of Basic Competencies (ABC), a test battery based on the three-parameter logistic model, is described. Eleven dimensions of intellectual growth are measured, from the pre-kindergarten level through ninth grade. An educationally relevant skill domain is represented by each test. Unique properties of the test, based on…