The purpose of this skills assessment instrument is to determine if a student has the basic mathematics, reading, writing, and listening skills needed in training for office occupations. The instrument contains 29 items which test mathematical computation skills; reading comprehension; understanding of percentages and fractions; ability to read…

In November l982, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) published the ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines, a series of descriptions of proficiency levels for speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture in a foreign language. The history, origins, objectives, and implications for language teaching of those…

The importance of incorporating aural comprehension activities in the second language classroom is discussed. In addition, both the theoretical models upon which the listening comprehension research is based and the operational definitions employed by the researchers are examined. It is suggested that research demonstrates the value of emphasizing…

The goal of this unit is to assist students in understanding and practicing pro-social skills as alternatives to aggressive behavior. Intended for grades four to seven, the unit contains seven modules: (1) "Self-Appraisal"; (2) "Relaxation"; (3) "How to Listen"; (4) "Communicating Your Wants to Others"; (5)…

This manual for third grade French instruction accompanies the early French immersion program. It is based on general and specific learning objectives for the four language skills the child needs to develop. The introduction to the manual provides an overview of the program for the primary grades and learning objectives for the four language…

This second edition of a text has been organized into a sequence that reflects how students learn language--from listening and speaking to reading and writing. The book begins with an overview of the language arts and the teacher's role in planning instruction. Chapters 2 and 3, "Listening to Learn" and "Developing Oral…

The first part of this report reviews an extensive series of studies concerned with the reciprocal teaching of comprehension fostering and monitoring strategies--an instructional method in which an adult teacher and a group of students take turns leading a dialogue aimed at revealing the meaning of the text. The studies reviewed indicate that…

An experimental first-year college German course offered at the University of Texas at Austin emphasized communication, with a complementary de-emphasis on morphologically correct forms in spoken or written production. A modification of the Total Physical Response method was used to orient the students, and at four weeks the emphasis was shifted…

Techniques and approaches useful for developing reading comprehension and reading skills in second language learners are discussed and illustrated with examples from German. Literature is reviewed on: the effectiveness of reading while listening, transfer of skills and knowledge from one language to another, the role of guessing in reading…

Intended for classroom use, this book presents language arts activities for either the elementary or the secondary level. The first section contains speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities for elementary school students, with activities that are also appropriate for students at the secondary level. The second section, for the…

Instructional materials for advanced Sanaani Arabic, a dialect used predominantly for oral communication, include 25 units consisting of text derived from recordings of spontaneous conversations of native speakers in various communication situations. Some of the topics are: medical services, marriage, jobs, an interview, a car accident, proverbs…

Eight commercially-available listening and note-taking courses are reviewed and a matrix for comparing their characteristics is presented. "Listening and Note-Taking" (Virginia Yates) was written for college-bound high school students and college students who need to improve listening and note-taking skills, while the "Sack-Yourman Study Skills…

This supplement is intended to help schools get the maximum amount of useful information from test results; information that will be helpful in program monitoring, grouping, planning instructional activities, and reporting results to parents and community. Contents include an introduction to test interpretation and interpreting of test scores;…

Adult English as a second language (ESL) students must develop listening comprehension skill for two reasons: they need it for survival purposes immediately and it is the first step toward acquisition of English. These two needs reflect the distinction between listening for comprehension and listening for acquisition; they must be accounted for in…

The overall goals of the kindergarten through grade 12 language arts program described in this guide are based upon strands that are common to every level of instruction: spelling, reading, handwriting, composition (oral and written), and literature. The described goals deal with a wide variety of ways by which people communicate; emphasize the…