Random parallel reading comprehension tests in Japanese and English were administered to a sample of native Japanese students enrolled in intensive English instruction. The students had been placed at three different levels of English language proficiency based on an independent proficiency assessment measure. Evidence for a threshold competency…

A framework for describing relationships among the different linguistic systems in a bilingual or second language learner is proposed. The framework attempts to represent the ways in which knowledge of one language is used in integrating into memory new knowledge about another language. The model is partially implemented in a computer program that…

Three purposes of this study were to: (1) propose some organizing theoretical and observational definitions of the anchor construct; (2) present some initial findings from a diagnostic test designed to uncover anchors for high school physics instruction; and (3) provoke an initial discussion of the new methodological issues that arise in this…

The monograph provides an integrative review on the environmental and instructional factors that appear to be most conducive to the complex, interactive, and interdependent process of learning. Ten instructional strategies empirically documented to have a critical impact on a student's ability to learn are discussed in detail. They are: (1) The…

Case study observations and analyses of learning styles in U.S. secondary schools comprise the crux of this monograph. The text provides testimony to the accomplishments of schools actually integrating differentiated learning styles into their diverse educational programs and concomitant coursework. With the notion that learning style provides…

A discussion of cloze procedure and Directed Reading and Thinking Activity (DRTA) proposes that the complementary use of the two procedures helps develop student awareness of language-learning processes (metacognition) for improved language proficiency. The paper defines metacognition, cloze, and DRTA, describes their use in teaching, reviews…

This paper illustrates a model of the layperson's reasoning patterns under conditions of uncertainty, the "outcome approach," which was developed from analysis of videotaped problem-solving interviews with 16 undergraduate students. According to the outcome approach, the goal in questions of uncertainty is to predict the outcome of an…

Focusing on the role of language in learning, this paper discusses schemata and symbolic thinking that help students learn from unfamiliar experiences. The first part of the paper introduces the idea of symbolic thinking by comparing students encountering new ideas with convention-goers making their way around a new city. The section suggests that…

In keeping with the trend toward active, participative learning, observation projects for speech communication students can allow them to experiment with designing and carrying out a study of human communication. Students can be encouraged to look at the dynamics of a church congregation, a courtroom, a pre-game football huddle, or an office, and…

Everyone concerned with educational systems performance agrees that the improvement of teaching qualities is a high priority in any educational effort. Teachers are assigned the role of change agents and are presented with new challenges, e.g., to make education global and permanent, flexible enough to serve in any environment (in or out of the…

Despite increased interest in and acceptance of the concept and mandate of providing adaptive instruction to ensure schooling success for each student, a sizable gap exists between identification of specific educational practices and application of such practices in schools. The work described in this paper is aimed at examining the feasibility…

A study was conducted to examine learning from textbook sentences that provide examples. It was predicted that an example written succinctly and with a word order that emphasized its parallel semantic relations with the exemplified principle, such as "animals have parasites; dogs have fleas," would have a positive effect on idea comprehension. It…

Presbyopia, a condition which affects the eye's ability to change focus or to produce a clear image, makes an appropriate analogy through which to consider educational access for special needs students. Presbyopia can be corrected with properly fitted glasses; new "glasses" should be "prescribed" for teachers so that distortions related to student…

Free recall and cued recognition performance were studied in 53 field independent and 55 field dependent undergraduate education majors who were with or without structure at the time of learning and at the time of recall. Results indicated that field dependent learners recalled more of the textual material when provided with structure during both…

Negotiation can be used systematically in a communicative language teaching methodology that allows students to participate in decisions about what to learn, in what order, and how to adjust the learning process and materials to their own learning styles and particular problems. The teacher's role becomes that of manager or informant-model. Even…