The efforts associated with the communication competence movement, both within and without the Speech Communication Association, have done much to promote the inclusion of listening and speaking skills in the public schools to date, but areas remain where progress is still needed. Over the past 15 years, the most significant change has been the…

Developed by classroom teachers, instructional supervisors, school administrators, and personnel from institutions of higher education, this course of study guide outlines the language arts skills and concepts to be taught at each grade level (K-12) in Alabama schools. It is intended as a content outline to be used in planning the language arts…

Selection procedures for the Wellington (New Zealand) Polytechnic Journalism Program were studied. An exploratory analysis of 1983 selection data was undertaken, resulting in elimination of one selection test and establishment of a provisional cutoff for 1984 applicants. In the principal study, the following four aspects were examined: (1)…

Impromptu speech is heard only once, at a rate of perception that depends on the speaker's delivery, and is specifically adapted to the listeners. These features trigger cognitive activities that facilitate translation. Impromptu speech is characterized by a constant interconnection between cognitive competence and language competence and between…

The teaching activities presented in this document focus on teaching students the language of science through reading and writing. The first activity engages students in writing everything they know about a particular science topic, devising questions for further study, reading and gathering information to answer the questions, developing specific…

A study explored whether teaching the comprehension skills of inference, drawing conclusions, sequencing, and cause and effect would increase student achievement in reading and language while at the same time imparting social science content. Subjects, 197 eighth grade students in the experimental group and 192 eighth grade students in the control…

A study of the relationship of teacher attitudes toward and comprehension of Black English examined certain characteristics of a group of university graduate students in education in relation to their self-evaluations of Black English comprehension, stated attitudes, and types of interpretation errors. The characteristics of graduate students…

The skills and concepts described in this kindergarten through grade eight reading program guide emphasize the following: (1) teachers' expectations for and attitudes toward students affect student performance, (2) students' self-concepts and expectations are related to their achievement, (3) children learn in different ways and at different…

Grade 10 core French students in the Ottawa and Carleton schools were tested for French language skills to assess the skill level acquired by students at this stage of the French second language program and to investigate the suitability of existing tests. The study involves students at three levels: in general, advanced, and enriched courses, in…

This book is designed to provide supplemental instructional materials for the "Adult Education Guide to ESL (English as a Second Language) Curriculum." Each unit covers several communications objectives outlined in the "Guide." The materials are intended for use along with both teacher-made and commercial materials. Materials are provided for two…

Preliminary results of a comparison of the language modifications made by teachers when telling stories to native English speakers and non-native speakers of English at various proficiency levels suggest that teachers need to do more than make the routine modifications in linguistic input to lower-level learners. Teachers need to: (1) act on the…

"Motivation" is a regular column feature in issues of the journal "The Reading Teacher." Each column presents techniques for motivating students to read that have been submitted by readers of the journal. This compilation gathers together ten columns appearing across 1984-1985. The ten columns deal with the following topics: (1) listening and…

This reference manual provides practical strategies for teaching a wide range of study skills at the elementary and secondary grade levels. Following a brief introduction, the manual presents an overview of study skills and strategies for various content areas and grade levels. The next section discusses guidelines for developing a study skills…

The use of discussion about students' vacations on the first day of a third-year college level conversational German class is analyzed. The discussion imitates a common conversational situation. Many students at this level tend to fall into use of the present tense, attempting few other tenses at first, and research shows that Germans consider…

A study was conducted to determine whether voice support helps children learn to read. Voice support involves reading to children while they follow the text, either informally as in bedtime reading, or formally, as in teacher or audiotaped readings of stories in the classroom. Subjects, 64 children just entering school, were unfamiliar with the 12…