Used Classification System for Counseling Responses to analyze verbal behaviors of four male and four female beginning counselor trainees and their clients. Results provided limited support for hypothesis that counselor trainees would show significant differences in types of verbal responses used across thirds of sessions. Findings provided some…

The structure of televised conversations were compared with theoretical structures of such conversations, based on data drawn from commercial television soap operas. Results show that portions resemble naturally occurring speech as represented in theoretical frameworks, but others do not; implications for language teachers are noted. (17…

Discussion of voice as the communications device for computer-human interaction focuses on voice recognition systems for use within a library environment. Voice technologies are described, including voice response and voice recognition; examples of voice systems in use in libraries are examined; and further possibilities, including use with…

Presented is an analysis of creationist styles of presentation from the viewpoint of a student of folklore. Folklore themes, and formulaic utterances are discussed. The roles of language development and culture are stressed. (CW)

Explores the influence of race and consultant verbal behavior on preservice teachers (N=154) perceptions of consultants' competence and multicultural sensitivity. The preservice teachers viewed videotapes of a problem definition interview in which the race of the consultee, race and verbal behavior of the consultant were completely crossed.…

In this study, 16 sighted persons were given linearization tasks to complete with either another sighted person or a person with visual impairments. Pairs with participants with visual impairments talked significantly more than did sighted participants, had more problems with turn-taking, and needed more time to perform the tasks. (Contains…

Guided by a pamphlet designed to encourage family conversations about tobacco, parents of 6th- and 8th-grade daughters successfully carried out discussions about tobacco use in a nonaversive manner. Daughters reported parental advice was helpful. Topics discussed include consequences of smoking and difficulty of quitting. Suggestions for topics…

Considers maternal verbal aggression and its effects on the adult-children's romantic relationships later in life. Introduces solidarity, emotional support, and relationship quality as rational outcomes and uses them to evaluate the effects of maternal verbal aggression on relationships. Indicates undergraduate students who report receiving high…

Proposes and tests a model that deals with, from a cultural standpoint, undergraduate students' willingness to approach or avoid social interaction. Hypothesizes that culture-level individualism increases one's construal of self as independent which leads to a higher degree of argumentativeness and a lower level of communication apprehension.…

This article discusses how poor room acoustics can make speech inaudible and presents a speech-perception model demonstrating the linkage between adequacy of classroom acoustics and the development of a speech and language systems. It argues both aspects must be considered when evaluating barriers to listening and learning in a classroom.…

Agrees with King's (1994) scenario of language emerging over a continuum with each step requiring an adaptive motivation. The article explores the major themes in King's work, including information donation and acquisition, gesture and information transmission, the evolution of social information transfer, the beginnings of language, and…

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and behavioral measures were used to study the potential effects of individual differences in verbal working memory capacity on the processing of sentences with a local syntactic ambiguity in German. Results indicate that syntactic processes in language comprehension are related to individual differences in…

Reviews of the theoretical contributions to distance education found the early primary focus was on organizational and structural constraints on delivery. The focus is shifting to teaching-learning, the diversity of communication technologies, the difference between asynchronous and real-time verbal communication, and the needs of new audiences.…

Discusses desirable characteristics of instructors or coaches and provides an evaluation checklist. Explains four main categories to consider: knowledge of the subject matter; communication skills, both written and oral; the ability to model desired behaviors; and the ability to detect and avoid creating unnecessary obstacles between the learner…

Addresses patterns and influence of student perceptions of instructor power use, affinity-seeking, and nonverbal immediacy in American and German classrooms. Notes that American instructors were seen to be higher in power use, affinity-seeking, and nonverbal immediacy than German instructors. Concludes that the influence of instructor referent…