Demonstrates the use of simulations and games in large classes as complements to the lecture method. Students generally respond favorably to the use of these strategies and indicate that they facilitate classroom communication and student interest, concept understanding, and personal growth. (JMF)

Presents validation, from a communication perspective, for semantic differential scales designed to measure attitude toward an object. The favorableness of sources' verbal behavior about an object was related to sources' attitudes toward the object. Receivers accurately estimated sources' attitudes and the favorableness of sources' verbal…

To better understand the mechanisms underlying encoding, manual signs and spoken words were presented in a short term memory task to six severely retarded children (11 to 14 years old). It was found that manual signs were encoded differently from spoken words for short term memory storage. (Author/PHR)

Encoding voice information is a cognitively effortful, age sensitive process. For older adults, enhanced voice encoding under the intentional condition, relative to the incidental condition, was accompanied by a significant decrement in sentence recall. The age difference apparently reflects the diminished processing capacity of older adults.…

Describes how, through the use of questionnaires and surveys conducted by the students, they can be aided to develop listening comprehension and to use their English in a social situation with native speakers who are strangers. The findings can be analyzed and assigned as a written report for homework. (PJM)

Criticizes the variable analytic approach to small group communication currently being used by many social science researchers and suggests some alternative ways of doing research based on a human action perspective. (JMF)

Reviews the central principles of conversational organization and characterizes conversational argument in terms of these general principles. Discusses enthymemes and why they are the substance of persuasion. (JMF)

Discusses the value of oral reports and their place in the ESL curriculum and presents materials developed for use in intermediate level ESL courses. These materials include guidelines for choosing a topic; preparing, recording, and presenting the report; and for leading a discussion. An analysis of evaluations by students and instructor follows.…

Examines Chaplin's movement from silent films to sound films and his reluctant use of the spoken word and inclination to link human speech to basically sterile functions. (JMF)

The effects of speech rate, intonation, and sentence length on children's ability to imitate sentences were examined. Results indicate that adult speech is more readily imitated by children when intonation is normal, sentences are short, and speech rate is close to that of the child. (Author/AM)

Reviews new developments in the field of child language acquisition that emphasize the role of communication and dialogue. Mentions work on precursors to dialogue in infancy, the development of communicative intent, and the importance of cognitive over syntactic strategies of language processing by the young child. (Author/SS)

The utilization of principles from the performing arts to enliven teaching technique is explored through the University of South Carolina's "Teaching as a Performing Art" program. (LH)

Argues for a concept of teacher training which would include language practice, linguistics, and social studies. The language practice should be tied to practical teacher training. (IFS/WGA)

Investigates the validity of the receiver apprehension test, determining the degree to which it (1) correlates with a different measure of trait listening anxiety, (2) predicts specific state anxiety responses to listening tasks, and (3) is stable over time. (JMF)

Outlines some problems that emerged when speech act theory was applied to the analysis of natural discourse, traces these problems to basic flaws or misconceptions in J. R. Searle's theory, and proposes an alternative view of speech acts within the complex organization of discourse processes. (FL)