Involving 307 primarily Hispanic children with varying levels of English and Spanish language proficiency and 9 teacher-aide teams from grades 2-4 bilingual classrooms in schools located in 5 districts in the San Jose (California) area, the study examined whether classroom social status affected the frequency of study interaction and whether…

A variety of techniques can help a teacher create the atmosphere of a "quality circle," a Japanese management method in which each member of a group shares and contributes to the learning experience. "Creating a Commercial" allows students to create original oratory for presentation to the class. In "The Good News First," students improve their…

Articles in this monograph reflect the fact that English teachers see reading and literature as closely related. The opening essay, "Reading Is Non-Linear," provides the theoretical base for a comprehensive approach, drawing on current psycholinguistic theory. "Toward Comprehensive Reading Programs in Secondary Schools," reviews current issues and…

This is the sixth annual volume in a series providing reviews and syntheses of developments in the evolution of the science of communication. The volume contains disciplinary reviews and commentaries on topics of general interest to scholars and researchers in a variety of specialized areas, current research in a variety of topics that reflect the…

Noting that many elementary schools are introducing personal development programs into the curriculum, this newsletter focuses on a number of issues related to such programs. Various sections of the newsletter (1) define personal development for both teachers and parents; (2) present practical ideas and teaching strategies for programs in two…

This module (part of a series of 24 modules) is on understanding the process of communication in the classroom, the teacher's role in the process, and implications for instruction. The genesis of these materials is in the 10 "clusters of capabilities," outlined in the paper, "A Common Body of Practice for Teachers: The Challenge of…

Observations of the contrasts between Puerto Rican and Anglo nonverbal communication patterns, and their relevance in the classroom, are outlined and discussed. A general observation is that what is acceptable and permissible in one culture is usually not in the other, and teachers are urged to develop ways of making Anglo and Latin American…

This paper provides information on the use of referential communication tasks (tasks that structure speaking and listening behaviors so that participants need to interact to achieve accurate comprehension) in evaluating students' comprehension and listening skills. An introduction discusses interactive listening and the referential communication…

In times of educational retrenchment, decreasing enrollments among traditional students, and restraints on faculty salaries, college educators need to explore new and innovative types of programs such as off-campus instruction in classroom communication for teachers. An off-campus program provides an excellent opportunity for a communications…

With particular attention to the use of questions and the maintenance of topics, the classroom discussion of kindergarten children and their teacher during a storybook lesson was analyzed to determine how conversational control is maintained and what rules of conversation might apply in the classroom. A transcript for discourse analysis was…

As one of a series of sharply focused booklets based on concrete educational needs, this booklet provides teachers with educational theory and research on evaluating classroom speaking and presents suggestions for the application of the theory in regular classroom situations. The section on theory and research begins by describing a model of the…

The purpose of this study was to develop and test written and observational instruments and to investigate the relationship between the attitudes and behaviors toward gifted children among teachers of the gifted and those among teachers of regular classes. The subjects consisted of 13 teachers of the gifted and 25 preservice and inservice teachers…

Children's speech styles vary considerably, ranging along a continuum from formal to informal, in the various educational and social settings they encounter in school. Teachers who see their role as preparing children to fill social roles will be aware of the speech styles that children use and will accept varying speech styles as appropriate to…

A language evaluation instrument was devised to assess the accuracy of program implementation by teachers of four Australian preschool programs. The Teacher Language Instrument (TLI) categorizes each verbal episode of a teaching interchange for both mode and function. Five general mode categories of teacher language behavior--statements,…

Initially, many children use language with enthusiasm and apparent ease, but this lively use of language is sharply curtailed shortly after they begin school. This can be attributed to teachers' monopolizing continued discourse. A study explored the idea that increased student oral participation by more students at a higher level of thinking would…