A study explored alternative ways of collecting data on cultural values as expressed in speech behaviors. It investigated perceptions of the use of compliments in American English interactions by five Japanese and five American women. Methods of data collection included, first, a questionnaire and then for comparison, interviews using items from…

One of three manuals developed to supplement the English Language Arts Syllabus K-12 for the State of New York, this draft manual discusses listening and speaking in the English language arts curriculum K-12. Designed to help teachers plan day-to-day instruction, the manual explains the rationale for listening and speaking instruction, defines…

The undergraduate organizational communication series at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs has been designed to develop competency through knowledge, skills, sensitivity, and values. The four courses in the series--Introduction to Organizational Communication, Business and Professional Communication, Advanced Organizational…

Twenty countries are participating in the IEA International Study of Written Composition, for which this is a background report. school-based writing in particular, this report discusses the functions of writing from the point of view of culture, cognition, and child development. It also presents a usable model for constructing and evaluating…

Noting that the rising demand for graduates who can use mass communications technology has led universities to seek teachers with broadcast production experience as well as academic credentials, this paper suggests ways to find such people. Reporting the findings of a review of 64 want ads appearing in "Broadcast Magazine" in a one-year period,…

This resource material, written by Georgia teachers and field tested statewide, provides 45 strategies--or motivational activities--to use as supplemental materials when students have difficulty mastering language arts skills. The strategies are listed alphabetically for easy reference and are presented as alternative ways to reinforce…

A survey of 80 department chairpersons, directors of forensics, and debate coaches indicated an increased use of nontraditional, audience-centered debate paradigms since the National Developmental Conference on Forensics issued its report advancing alternative debate options during the 1970s. Report recommendations on expanding the role of…

While no one method can possibly solve all the problems in an educational system, the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) addresses many. The PSI method is a self-paced, mastery learning approach based on reinforcement and personal attention. It is typified by five characteristics that help to meet or minimize the adverse aspects of…

As a preliminary study evaluating the relative merits of skill development and information exposure in speech communication classes, an opinion survey was administered to students taking two variants of the introductory course. The two courses, labeled "Basic Blend" and "Blend: Public Speaking Emphasis," included roughly equivalent units on…

A three-stage model for the systematic development of competent secondary school teachers of speech communication begins with the prospective teachers examining "who they are" and "what makes them confident and happy" in terms of motivational needs, and dominance-submission, anxiety-confidence, and rigidity-flexibility characteristics. The second…

Intended for use by both elementary and secondary school teachers, the two papers in this report stress the importance of developing students' oral and written communication skills. The first paper, "Relationship of Oral Communication to Reading," by Phil Backlund and John Johnson, argues that ability in oral communication is a prerequisite to the…

This set of five papers, written in German with abstracts in English, was collected by the Institut fuer Didaktit der Mathematik (Institute for the Teaching of Mathematics) at the University of Bielefeld in West Germany. In the first paper, Bauersfeld used a transcript of a videotaped scene of group work out of school as a basis for analyzing…

The spontaneous speech of three Mexican American children (one boy and two girls) and their mothers, siblings, relatives, and neighbors was recorded to investigate the relationships between language and cultural values and beliefs, and between language, input, and cognition and the acquisition of linguistic forms. The children were first-born, 20,…

A study assessed the validity of applying the Spitzberg and Cupach dyadic model of communication competence to small group interaction. Twenty-four students, in five task-oriented work groups, completed questionnaires concerning self-competence, alter competence, interaction effectiveness, and other group members' interaction appropriateness. They…

Social studies assessment for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) should focus on students' oral and written discourse on social topics. Discourse is language produced by the student with the intention of providing a narrative, argument, explanation, or analysis. The assessment of discourse is important because: emphasis on…