Hannah is a Pacific island grade 1 teacher in a local village school. She has been guided in her teaching practice by the values she learned growing up in an extended family. These values involved observing and listening to elders, and then practicing what she observed and participating in many conversations among family members. Written by the…

This paper provides study activities for the Virginia Standards of Learning Program for Grades K-5 with the activities related to observation of story theater performances of "Mutsmag" and "Ashpet" (as dramatized by R. Rex Stephenson). The activities in the paper can be adapted for learning standards in other places and for…

Virginia Standards of Learning for K-5 are listed in this paper with student activities related to observation of live theatre performances of "Arabian Tales" written and performed by the high school theater touring company, Organized Chaos. This play toured in Virginia in the academic year of 2000-2001. The play runs about 45 minutes.…

Although children's oral language has been a focus of interest and inquiry through the 20th century, current investigations document research with literature of more recent decades to support investigations, theoretical design, or philosophical approach. The developmental nature of the literature, with marked changes in theory and methods of child…

This book offers a variety of viewpoints relevant to teachers and researchers who are interested in the practical application of the theory and philosophy behind oral language instruction. Through an assortment of international essays, the authors demonstrate the changing nature of children's talk in the writing circle, reading conference, English…

This book represents a strong consensus on the skills, knowledge, and abilities that all students should be able to master in language arts at specific grade levels during 13 years in the California public school system. Standards for each grade level are broken down into the following categories: Reading, Writing, Written and Oral English…

This study investigated the relationships between language anxiety and achievement in oral English performance by Japanese students of English as a foreign language (EFL). Students' anxiety about situations requiring oral ability was measured using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, and compared statistically with a measure of their…

Indicates that 18- to 20-month-old infants can detect the correspondence between auditorially and visually perceived speech; that is, they manifest some of the components related to lip-reading phenomena in adults. This demonstration of the bimodal perception of speech in infancy has important implications for social, cognitive, and linguistic…

Outlines an oral interview format and scoring system for use with foreign language students during their first and second semesters of language study. (EKN)

The relationship between sign and verbal learning was explored using 10 severely mentally retarded adults. They were taught color labels in sign, verbal, or sign and verbal groups. Sign labels tended to be learned more efficiently; combined sign and verbal training improved verbal learning but not sign learning. (Author/CM)

Describes steps taken at the University of Pennsylvania to change foreign language requirement, including studies of student achievement by administering CEEB Language Achievement Tests and FSI Oral Proficiency Interview and the development of performance standards by faculty in order to make requirements proficiency-based. (BK)

Comparability may be obtained for the Language Assessment Scale and the Bilingual Syntax Measure through a change in classification strategies which will also improve the equivalence of the tests and their correlation with achievement. Use of the tests along with teacher ratings should then provide meaningful criteria for classification.…

Illustrates how children constantly solve communication puzzles in the course of language acquisition and offers suggestions for teachers and parents to assist children in their understanding of language. (HTH)

The results were interpreted as support for the view that oral and written language are interactive in their development, and that young children come to school with some reading abilities. For related information see EC 132 758-768. (Author)

A case study of a six-year-old reveals that unfounded assumptions about language growth and development may debilitate rather than facilitate the process of language literacy. Recommendations are made for open-entry language activities where constraints are allowed to evolve in a risk free language environment. (JN)