Presents conversations of a group of fifth graders collaborating on a social studies task to illustrate how childen use language to learn. Focuses on one student whose oral language was rapid and chaotic but who demonstrated extremely sophisticated and complex structuring of knowledge to understand a particular social studies concept. (HTH)

Discusses 32 studies which address the relationship between creative drama and language skills. Also provides a chart that includes the following information on each study: drama treatment, language measurement instruments, population, control group or alternate treatment, significant results, conclusions, and other factors studied. (PD)

This bilingual text by Zhou Youguang (in Chinese) with English translation by Zhang Liqing makes it easier for English speakers to gain advanced level skills in East Asian languages. It also exposes learners at or above intermediate skill levels to the vocabulary and discourses of academic disciplines and provides entries into discussions with…

The articles, written in French, in this issue refer to research and intercultural practices with regard to confrontational situations between two or more cultural systems. The titles are as follows: "La culture universitaire comme culture en soi" (The University Culture as a Culture in Its Own Right) (Aline Gohard-Radenkovic);…

This inservice professional development module, part of the Alabama Reading Initiative, presents research summaries, notes for presenters, and activities. The Oral Language and Vocabulary module elaborates on a student's comprehension of text as it relates to the overlap between the student's system of language and the author's system of language.…

This study examined the quality of three English vowels and their Korean counterpart vowels by measuring F1/F2 frequencies and investigating how the different vowel qualities influenced consonant voicing. Participants were six native speakers (NS) of English and six NS of Korean who were graduate students at a large U.S. university. F1/F2…

This teacher's guide, intended for the instruction of both French as a first language and French as a second language in an immersion setting, provides a host of strategies for teaching interactive oral presentation skills in the classroom (Grades 6 through 12). Section 1 is designed to bring the teacher's awareness to the training procedure,…

The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of using a Multiple Intelligences-Based Training Programme on developing first-year English majors' oral communication skills. Based on literature review and related studies, a list of 20 oral communication skills was prepared and displayed over a panel of jury members to select…

The discussion of the role of verbal interaction in second language learning focuses on the process the learner undergoes in acquiring linguistic knowledge in a second- or foreign-language (L2) situation. The introductory section provides a general discussion of language learning and the acquisition of both linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge.…

Educational and developmental researchers suggest that children who have experienced homelessness suffer both in self-esteem and in literacy development, although early research is not complete. The Reading Connection (TRC), a community-based nonprofit organization in northern Virginia, focuses on the social aspect of reading, rather than…

This 1996 technical report looks at California Early Literacy Learning (CELL), a staff development program designed to help elementary teachers strengthen their teaching of reading and writing. Reading Recovery and other research-based teaching methodologies have been organized into a framework for classroom instruction, and training in the…

Demographic trends indicate that in the 21st century, second-language issues in early literacy development will remain a pressing concern. According to the 1990 U.S. census, over 6.3 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 spoke a language other than English at home (Crawford, 2001). This number has grown to over 9.7 million as estimated…

The development, administration, and scoring of a communicative test and its validation with tests of linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in English and Spanish are reported. Correlation with measures of home language use and school achievement are also presented, and issues of test validation for bilingual programs are discussed. (MSE)

The impact of a grade two enrichment program in a French immersion course is evaluated. Small group activities under the supervision of a parent, grade six students, and a grade two monitor provided opportunities to practice French in a stimulating environment. Significant oral skills gains were measured. (Author/MSE)

The intention of this study was to discover how and to what extent children use simile and metaphor in their spontaneous oral language. Results showed that type of stimulus was the most influential factor in inducing children's oral metaphoric language, with the nature of the task also significant. (Author/GK)