This book contains over fifty ideas and activities related to language development at all educational levels. Suggestions are provided for teaching composition, critical reading of newspapers and magazines, folklore, creative writing, vocabulary development, poetry, epics and films, interviewing techniques, metaphors, choral speaking, silent…

This special issue consists of the following seven articles on communicative competence: (1) "Psycholinguistics and Language Teaching," by Elisabeth Ingram; (2) "Current Trends in Language Teaching at the C.R.A.P.E.L.," by Philip Riley; (3) "Who Needs a Teacher? - An Alternative to the 'Conversation Class'," by Ken…

Public Agenda was asked by the Nebraska State Board of Education and the Nebraska Department of Education (referred to hereafter as the State Board and the NDE) to help design and implement a public engagement process that would allow a cross-section of the state's citizens to comment on the central ideas contained in the document "Equitable…

Discusses dramatic activities and techniques useful in the teaching of foreign languages. A distinction is made between theater and other dramatic activities; the latter ranges from reading theater to skits learned by memory. Two examples of activities are suggested for the teacher. (AMH)

Suggests ideas on how visuals and video-texts such as TV commercials and talk shows can enrich foreign language curricula; provide students with exposure to language in various contexts; develop socio-linguistic competence in a foreign language; provide models of pronunciation, intonation, rhythm and accent; and reduce anxiety in the classroom.…

Studies native speakers of Korean to determine the role of universals in their acquisition of English obstruent voicing contrasts. Data were collected from a passage and a word list containing voiced and voiceless obstruents in initial, medial, and final word positions. Results reflected principles of markedness, universals of L1 acquisition, and…

Argues for using oral history studies to develop language skills and teach social science concepts to limited-English-speaking students. Interviewing family and community members provides students with a familiar context, while translating and transcribing sharpens their language skills. Includes an oral history case study. (MJP)

The aim of this paper is to advance understanding of the theoretical basis for the difficulties many children who are deaf or hard of hearing face when learning spoken English grammar. The association between learning syntactical grammar and pre-verbal social interactions is explored and related to the effects of prelingual hearing loss. We…

To investigate the use, or otherwise, of conversational adjustments (CAs), in a normal instructional setting, the quality of speech generated during meaning negotiation, and learner perception of the task under study, a quantitative and a qualitative analysis was carried out of language produced in a dyadic set-up in a one-way information task, a…

This book offers teachers a handbook for teaching literacy to diverse students in grades 3-8. The balanced literacy method combines the best practices of phonics and other skill-based language instruction with the holistic, literature-based approach in order to help teach reading, writing, and speaking in a clear and approachable format. This…

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to communicate effectively in the workplace. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal objective and opening remarks…

This basic course in oral communication developed especially for hospital employees is designed to be taught onsite and to complement a hospital's other training and staff development efforts. The topical focus is workplace communication. The course is designed as a 16-hour course, with eight 2-hour sessions. The curriculum guide consists of a…

English instruction is successful when students learn to express significant ideas clearly in discussions, write with verve and grace, read with insight and enjoyment, and practice these skills beyond the realm of the classroom. This report discusses how to teach grammar and select literature in order to achieve those goals. Research and issues in…

The speech communications professionals who are involved in training and consulting need to conceptualize and talk about their activities as communication educators--not as trainers. Clients should be taught to make interpretive choices appropriate to their rhetorical environment, in addition to learning basic skills. As educators in the corporate…

With increasing numbers of nontraditional students (25 years or older) enrolling in college classes, it is important for educators to understand how these students' perceptions of teaching effectiveness may differ from those of the more traditional university population. To discover the categories traditional and nontraditional students use in…