Some of the major reading and writing practices currently in use in adult English-as-a-Second-Language programs are described in this digest. Reading activities for such learners are similar to those used in adult basic education classes. At the beginning level, students dictate stories to the teacher or give an oral account of an experience.…

This conversation manual and tapescript are part of a set of materials that have been developed to teach oral and written Afghan Pashto to English speakers. In addition to the conversation manual and tapescript, the set consists of a beginning textbook, an intermediate textbook, a reader, and a set of taped lessons that correlate with the…

Research on adult second-language (L2) learner's self-repair is reported. Repairs are defined as "structure shifts," which are types of correction or improvement where the speaker leaves a structure uncompleted, abandoning it or shifting to another structure. Two principal types of repairs are distinguished: code- and discourse-related…

This paper reports on a small-scale pilot study further investigating the perceptual development in the acquisition of durational contrasts by different levels of adult English-speakers of Japanese. Four kinds of naturally spoken word-tokens were edited by a synthesizer to generate word-stimuli varying the duration of a certain consonant/vowel…

Intended to disseminate new information about early literacy development to teachers of young children, this 125-item annotated bibliography includes listings of books, book chapters, pamphlets, journal articles, and videocassettes that can help enhance teachers' knowledge base about theory and strategies in early literacy development. The…

The bibliography lists studies of English language use in business communication. The first section cites research undertaken from a language or communication perspective, and the second section contains research from a management or business viewpoint. Within each of these sections, research is divided into that dealing with written business…

A discussion of young children's production of English utterances with missing constituents focuses on the omission of subjects. The theory that young children have different grammars from those of adults is disputed, and it is suggested that, instead, subjects are omitted due to performance factors. Processing limitations in child language are…

In addressing questions of semantics and grammar in child language, this study focuses on the generation of speech activity. Specific attention is on the formation and development of speech units during speech generation. The study looks at the process by which preschool children master various linguistic items and categories using semantics,…

A study investigated patterns of usage of French connectors (e.g., "alors,""mais,""puisque") among Chinese university students of French as a foreign language. The study arose from concern that the lack of connector usage contributed to a lack of coherence in the students' oral and written language. Subjects were 45…

A study examined the oral comments of writing groups at different grade levels to determine if students are actually able to talk about writing, what kinds of comments they make about each other's writing, and what effects their comments have on the composing process. Nine groups of from four to six members in the fifth, eighth, and senior high…

Focusing on spontaneous drama--a means of encouraging, extending, and enhancing children's imaginations--this book discusses the growth in language creativity that results when students work with teachers who provide informal drama experiences in their classrooms. The book describes what drama is, how it is done with children, and why it should be…

A 20-minute videotape sample was obtained of the language interactions between 20 Down syndrome children (ages 38 to 107 months) and their mothers during informal playtime. Linguistic utterances of mothers and children were coded according to the following language categories: query, declarative, imperative, performative, feedback, imitation,…

Maternal language directed to 21 nonhandicapped, 21 Down syndrome, and 19 language impaired preschool children was examined. The three groups (all Caucasian and middle-class) were matched in mean length of utterance (MLU) and in developmental skills as measured on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. Mother-child language interaction was…

This book is a follow-up to the original CLAS K-2 (1985) oral language program for kindergarten through second grade, but can also be used independently. It contains 50 additional listening and speaking activities designed for use together or individually with whole classroom groups. Each includes three to six activities with cut-outs, stories,…

Study abroad is not a frill of the foreign language major's curriculum, but rather a component that is crucial to the linguistic preparation of a successful language teacher. During the study abroad experience, the student can obtain the ability to use the language freely and spontaneously, thus helping create an atmosphere of excitement and…