It is noted that a common belief among native Japanese-speakers is that it is not necessary to be polite when speaking English, despite the fact that politeness is seen as a Japanese cultural attribute. Researchers have also noted this discrepancy. A study investigated how Japanese secondary school textbooks for English as a Second Language (ESL)…

This report describes a classroom intervention for improving the social skills of fourth-grade students in an urban school. Children in the school were exhibiting poor social skills, as evidenced by lapses in self-discipline and by incidences of inappropriate behavior as noted by teacher observation and anecdotal records. After examining the…

The first part of this paper reviews previous literature on speech acts, compliments, and compliment responses. Previous research shows that the same speech act is very likely to be realized quite differently across cultures. The second part of the paper examines the compliment responses of Korean females in English interactions and in Korean…

This document, which was developed to assist individuals working in publicly sponsored literacy programs in Georgia, offers instructional plans and practical strategies designed to help teachers help students of adult literacy, adult basic education, General Educational Development, and English as a second language build stronger personal…

The link between resilience and peer friendship in certain high risk students is examined by describing the relationship between two measures: a measure of effective peer friendships completed by students and their parents (My Child's Friendships, B. Doll, 1993) and a second measure of resilient beliefs (Adolescent Resiliency Belief System, C. Jew…

This instructor's guide contains materials for a 40-hour course that explores interpersonal communication and improves participants' ability to communicate with fellow workers and family members. A title page provides a course description with target audience and general objective. An introduction covers design of the 10-week course, with 2 2-hour…

The Second Step program has been evaluated through formative evaluations of the curriculum versions before publication and outcome evaluations of the published versions. One outcome evaluation assessed student aggression and positive social behavior in students from 12 schools in Washington state in grades 1 through 3. It is concluded that the…

A study examined the relationships between self-disclosure and perceived intercultural effectiveness. Subjects, 129 foreign students from Asia attending a large midwestern university and a large eastern university in the United States, completed two sets of questionnaires. Results from Pearson product-moment correlation, canonical analysis, and…

An applied anthropological study was done of college student drinking games for insight into their role and function. Historical evidence suggests that drinking games have existed since ancient times, that such games encourage heavy drinking, and that despite awareness of the dangers associated with high levels of alcohol consumption, drinking…

This study used checklist and interview methods to assess the normative development of children's social function skills. Participants included a large, cross-sectional sample of parents of normal children ranging in age from 6 months to 7.5 years. Parents completed the checklist portion of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disabilities Inventory, a…

This paper reports a study of teachers' attitudes toward implementation of social skills instruction. Twenty-eight regular and special education teachers from a rural southwestern high school voluntarily responded to a questionnaire. Teachers reported a preference for proactive, comprehensive social skills activities implemented as part of a…

These seven social skills program team manuals foster the development of social skills and correct common social skill problems among students in different settings. The manuals also improve intervention skills. The following topics are covered: (1) administration; (2) counseling; (3) food services; (4) health services; (5) management; (6)…

Thirty-three deaf and 33 hearing children were videotaped playing with their hearing mothers at 22 months and 3 years of age. The deaf and hearing dyads differed at 22 months only on communicative competence. In addition, interactions in deaf dyads were mother dominated and less harmonious than in hearing dyads. At 3 years, the deaf children also…

Three studies were conducted to explore the relationship between social skills instruction and the maintenance and generalization of skills to post-school environments. Three adult women with severe disabilities in their last year of school participated in the studies. The first study addressed the effectiveness of an instructional package to…

This manual was developed for use in studying the sociomoral competence of children in three kindergarten classes. The work described follows that of Robert Selman, whose goal was to build a structural-developmental model of children's reflective reasoning in several domains of interpersonal understanding. Each of these domains involves the…