This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 26 titles deal with the following topics: United States Presidential rhetoric; the public speaking of David O. McKay; rhetorical analyses of the crisis in Northern Ireland, of the Americanization of the Zionist movement from 1896…

In this seventh-grade language unit, the study of semantics is introduced by an examination of the relationships between words and their referents, particularly in terms of changes of meaning and degrees of abstraction. Classroom activities are suggested to help students become aware of "language liveliness" and the processes of…

The first part of this report presents background and procedures of the 1968 New Orleans conference on speech-communication and lists the recommendations formally adopted by the conference concerning research priorities, graduate instruction, and issues and responsibilities in speech-communication. The major section of the publication is devoted…

This 10th-grade unit in Minnesota's "language-centered" curriculum introduces the complexity of linguistic meaning by demonstrating the relationships among linguistic symbols, their referents, their interpreters, and the social milieu. The unit begins with a discussion of Ray Bradbury's "The Kilimanjaro Machine," which…

This article considers the function and choice of visual aids in the teaching of languages in the light of recent work on communicative competence. An analysis of cartoons, comic strips, and television drama demonstrates that authentic verbo-visual communication consists of a network of interactions between visual and verbal information. This…

This is a report on a proposed research project on the interaction processes (verbal, non-verbal, and kinesic) present in a seminar situation, with a view towards positing a model of interaction in this type of situation. The seminar was chosen as a setting because it provides a structured context with a variety of discursive acts, favoring the…

Verbal and nonverbal patterns of communication found in the black community are discussed in this paper. They have been selected on the basis of their potential as interference factors in intergroup communication. A section on black language describes and explains the following categories: rapping, running it down, jiving, shucking, copping a…

This paper reports on the development of an error-coding instrument and a computerized continuous feedback system for the diagnostic evaluation and remedial treatment of unstructured second-language performances and the use of such a system in an instructional setting. The system does the following: it allows quick, objective, accurate, and…

A two-week institute was developed to provide librarians and library educators with the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the theory and practice of intercultural communication processes in library environments. The program included verbal and non-verbal behavior, value and perceptual differences among minority cultures, life assumptions,…

This paper explores the relation between the communicative and categorical functions of language and the acquisition of language production. Three major factors in language acquisition are communication, ability for representation and the process of categorization. This paper offers evidence that a sudden and dramatic increase in lexical skill…

Most of what has been taught in the language classroom for a long while has been generally a reflection of the particular concept of language popular among linguistics at the time, but recently this trend has begun to break down. Recent texts are starting to be organized according to considerations besides linguistic criteria, for example,…

To meet the sociological, psychological, and linguistic needs of disadvantaged children in teaching the language arts, both special teacher preparation--involving field experiences and mastery of the subject matter as well as teaching strategies--and effective language programs are necessary. Various teaching methods and materials have met with…

Language instruction, particularly in the elementary school, should be reinforced through the use of visual aids and through associated physical activity. Kinesthetic experiences provide an opportunity to make use of non-verbal cues to meaning, enliven classroom activities, and maximize learning for pupils. The author discusses the educational…

The following workshop presentations consider learning disabilities: "Educational Goals of the Perceptually Handicapped" by Marianne Frostig, "Remediation of Reading Problems" by Gilbert Schiffman, "Early Identification of Learning Disabilities" by Katrina de Hirsch, and "What Are Some Speech and Hearing…

The Specialized Language Activities Program (ESEA Title 3 Project) to motivate students to improve their oral language was conducted in an essentially rural section of Maine with an experimental group and a control group of 80 ninth-grade students with an I.Q. range of 85-100 and poor language usage. Sixty-seven percent of them had repeated at…