This book compiles specially commissioned articles about early childhood education written by experts in the field and students enrolled in the Early Childhood Studies Scheme at the University of North London. The book is divided into seven parts. Part 1 concerns how young children learn and includes articles on a developmental approach to the…

Discusses drama in foreign language instruction, especially as a means of improving oral expression. Two basic approaches are outlined and three techniques that have been used successfully with various age groups are described. (AMH)

This regular feature contains five lesson outlines on: (1) Vitrac, a small French village; (2) structural and lexical exercises using automobile advertisements; (3) a radioplay done by student teachers; (4) the autobiography of a French peasant; and (5) nasal sounds including description, examples, and exercises. (AMH)

Discusses the use of two-way amateur radio contacts in language courses to provide personal contact with speakers of the target language. Pilot courses in German and Spanish are described as well as a curriculum-based, interuniversity German conversation course, and an activity utilizing CB radio equipment. (AMH)

Course offerings listed in a national directory of training programs for junior/community college teachers were measured against the opinions of Iowa community college writing teachers about helpful training for community college teachers. Results indicated a need for more course offerings in remediation techniques, composition theory, speech,…

Discusses an intermediate-level learner's progress in listening comprehension during a pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes course in the United Kingdom. Highlights the difference in progress in one-way and two-way listening and the discrepancy between performance within the sheltered setting of the language classroom and success in real…

Proposes a variety of conversational training that maximizes learner autonomy and focuses on sociocultural competence in speaking. Students recorded role-plays that required good sociolinguistic knowledge and then compared the discourse generated with native speaker equivalents. The future of conversational training at third level is discussed in…

This article outlines procedures for maximizing the benefits that profoundly deaf children can achieve through cochlear implants. The history of such implants and practical aspects in their use are described. Factors in development of speech perception skills, auditory training objectives and activities, and spoken language acquisition are…

Speech perception outcomes in young children with cochlear implants are affected by a number of variables including the age of implantation, duration of implantation, mode of communication, and the presence of a developmental delay or additional disability. The aim of this study is to examine the association between degree of developmental delay…

"The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education, Volume 2," is an updated edition of the landmark original volume. A range of international experts present a comprehensive overview of the field of deaf studies, language, and education. This area has grown dramatically over the past forty years. From work on the linguistics…

Teacher enthusiasm has been linked to increased student achievement and attentiveness. Although enthusiasm is often mentioned to teachers and preservice teachers as being important, they are rarely trained in the particulars of enthusiastic teaching. This investigation was designed to explicate relationships among enthusiasm behaviors in a natural…

This thesis reports on a study of the use of first and second languages among students of a Spanish immersion program. Eight fifth- and sixth-graders with varying levels of Spanish proficiency participated in the study. Data were collected through student verbal reports, questionnaire-based interviews, classroom observations, and background…

This coursebook provides materials for a course to teach supervisors to communicate more effectively. The course is designed to be delivered in six sessions over a 3-week period. Stated course objectives for the participant are as follows: feel more comfortable with supervisory communication; understand language as a means of action and change;…

This coursebook provides materials for a course to improve the oral communication skills of workers in health care settings. The course is designed to be delivered in eight sessions over a 4-week period. Stated objectives for the participants are as follows: feel more comfortable with communication in the hospital, avoid becoming defensive or…

Articles in this journal issue focus primarily on evaluation in the language arts and oral communication. Following an introduction to the two themes, the articles discuss the following: (1) pop quizzes in literature, (2) holistic scoring, (3) self-evaluation strategies in prewriting and rewriting, (4) what not to do in student/teacher…