To improve speech communication education at the secondary school level, high school and college teachers must focus attention on speaking and listening content and on research having direct applications to speech instruction. Three approaches to curriculum planning have weakened secondary school level speech programs: the popularization of…

The story comprehension patterns of 21 good and poor sixth grade readers were examined across four modality combinations for input and output: (1) listening and oral recall, (2) reading and recall, (3) listening and written recall, and (4) reading and written recall. The subjects were asked to summarize important information in a different short…

This program includes 14 activity-oriented units which integrate instruction in science study skills with hands-on learning about energy and appropriate technology. The program is suitable for use in a wide range of science curricula in grades 7 to 10. Unit topics and the corresponding skills fostered (in parentheses) in part one focus on: the…

Developed for Boston high school students, the English objectives in this booklet are presented in a two-column format. General objectives are stated in the left-hand column while specific examples of ways to evaluate student mastery of the objectives are presented in the right. Integrating reading, writing, listening, speaking, and critical…

Prepared as part of a series applying recent research in oral and written communication instruction to classroom practice, this booklet provides teachers, administrators, and curriculum planners with suggestions for ways to develop more effective oral communication instruction in the content areas as well as speech classes. Following a brief…

The Language Profile of Bilingual Students in California was undertaken to determine: (1) students' range of performance on specific language tasks across four age groups in both Spanish and English; (2) the relationship of this performance to proficiency on two tests currently used in California; (3) how the development of the two languages…

This curriculum is aimed at improving the oral communications skills of blue collar and lower management personnel as they interact in the workplace. It is intended to be workplace specific and to move the learner toward a full 12th-grade level attainment. Designed for use in a variety of settings and formats, the curriculum is divided into five…

This annotated bibliography contains 44 references, dated from 1976 to 1989, intended for educators concerned with assessment of basic speaking and listening skills, with particular emphasis on minimal competency testing and basic skills improvement programs. The materials cited do the following: (1) assess broad assessment issues; (2) review a…

Prepared by teachers for teachers, this practical classroom guide offers a process of monitoring language development and planning for development within a whole language framework, supported by a compendium of appropriate practice to be drawn on when needed. The guide (1) emphasizes the interdependence of reading, writing, talking, and listening;…

Most information is still conveyed to university students through lectures. This necessitates that students have sophisticated listening and note-taking skills, and poses additional difficulties for non-native students. To identify areas for improvement, science lectures in English in the Sultanate of Oman were analyzed. The relationship between…

The aims of the projects described in this paper were to develop and evaluate a new approach to the assessment of English language skills of English as a second language (ESL) students. The approach makes use of optical scanning equipment in scoring cloze-elide test exercises, thereby providing a rapid, relatively inexpensive and objective measure…

A study examined variables that affect the acquisition of automaticity of verbal skills. Among the variables examined were practice, novelty or familiarity of a word or word category, the speed and efficiency with which persons acquire automaticity, reaction time, and number of tasks performed concurrently. Subjects, 30 sixth and seventh grade…

Emphasizing language as a means of communication and as a learning tool, this guide to curriculum planning presents a conceptual framework for a kindergarten through grade twelve language arts program emphasizing the integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and media use. The content and skills sections in the guide include a…

This paper discusses the value of using children's books to enhance career education and presents sample learning activities for use in presenting career education concepts through children's literature. Career education for first and second graders, which focuses on teaching about jobs, work, the self, and life, is discussed first. Eleven ways in…

Noting that both the structural characteristics of television and the characteristics of the viewer may influence comprehension of television news, a study tested the hypothesis that the synchronous presentation of television news will maximize learning for viewers with low prior knowledge of program content. Synchronous and nonsynchronous…