Randomly equivalent forms (REF) of tests in listening and reading for nonnative speakers of English were created by stratified random assignment of items to forms, stratifying on item content and predicted difficulty. The study included 50 replications of the procedure for each test. Each replication generated 2 REFs. The equivalence of those 2…

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between spelling knowledge and reading skills among a group of 16 intermediate-level Arab learners of English as a second language (ESL) and a corresponding comparison group of 21 intermediate-level ESL learners in an English for academic purposes (EAP) program. A spelling task was used…

This pilot project investigates second language (L2) learners' attitudes towards three varieties of English: American (AmE), British (BrE) and Australian (AuE). A 69-word passage spoken by a female speaker of each variety was used. Participants were 30 Chinese students pursuing Masters or Doctoral degrees in the United States, who listened to each…

To determine normative story recall behavior for 5-year-old prekindergarten children, and to compare their recall of stories with recall of comparable chronological/descriptive passages, a study tested 30 nonhandicapped prekindergarten children. Each subject was read a 95-word, second-grade level story and immediately asked to "tell me what I…

The introduction of a listening comprehension component in the Israeli Matriculation examination of English as a Foreign Language has necessitated research into more effective methods of testing listening comprehension. Oral proficiency has been part of the examination for some time, but more reliable methods of evaluating the test are needed. An…

Survey responses of faculty in six graduate study fields and undergraduate English faculty identified nine listening skills that they perceived as particularly important to academic success in lecture classes. Faculty believed that non-native English speakers had greater difficulty with listening activities. Research suggestions are presented…

The current study examined whether 11-month-old and 12-month-old French infants were able to recognize familiar words in a situation yielding no extra-linguistic cues, before they made identified attempts at producing such words. A head-turn preference paradigm was used to compare infants' interest for familiar words against rare words. Lists of…

Listening research spans the last half-century of American scientific study. Many methodologies overlap to define this complex subject of interactive communication: the Neopositivist, Systems, Gestaltist, Rules, Phenomenological, Hermeneutical, Critical, Ethnomethodological, Coordinated Management of Meaning, and others. Several theories and…

At the root of effective listening is appreciating the difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is merely a physiological process, whereas, listening is an interpretive process. Listener misunderstandings can be curbed by keeping a few ideas in mind. First, accurate meaning is not necessarily transmitted in each oral communication…

A practicum focused on improving listening skills in four- to five-year-old children. The practicum targeted the following specific listening skills for improvement: (1) discriminating English phonemes; (2) recognizing words heard in a story; (3) repeating a short story; and (4) following verbal instructions. Teaching strategies which the…

Listening is the language skill humans use most, and teaching children to listen better is an essential and long overdue task. Achieving this task demands three things from the adults who work with children: an understanding of the listening process, the implementation of research-based strategies for improving children's listening, and an…

If music is the product of a peculiarly human behavior, the study of music rightfully belongs to the humanities program. (Author)

Argues that the term "reading potential," as it is now commonly used and computed by many reading personnel, needs to be delegitimatized. (Author/SDH)

Arising out of an informal survey of approximately 50 books for children with a listening theme, this paper explores how picture books with listening themes can be used to improve children's listening ability, provide enjoyment, and expose them to story structure, thus leading to an awareness of how tales are spun and an ability to predict what is…