This paper outlines the Educational Testing Service (ETS) plan for developing instruments and procedures for evaluating Peace Corps Trainees' and Peace Corps Volunteers' competence in host country languages at various stages of training or in-country service. The goals of such an evaluation program are first stated. and then a critique of the…

The purposes of this study were (1) to devise two forms of an instrument for measuring the listening ability of first, second, and third graders; (2) to test the instrument on students and teachers; and (3) to measure the reliability of the instrument. To obtain objective data concerning the listening ability of young children (6-9), four…

It was hypothesized that by age 8 children would manifest an adult meaning system, and that 5-year-old children would not. An adult meaning system allows an adult to transcend component word meanings and integrate, in the presence of a speaker, the underdetermined and the factual proposition into a meaningful whole. Subjects were 60 5- and…

This study was designed to test the effects of message summaries on the recall of main points of an informative message. Two different types of summary techniques, a mnemonic and a traditional type, were identified and compared with each other and with a third treatment involving no summaries. One hundred and eleven volunteer subjects were…

Research analyzed: 1) the treatment of plurals in the Functional Basic Word List for Special Pupils (Stanwix House List), and 2) plural recognition by educable mentally handicapped (EMH) students. Review of the Stanwix House List revealed that plurals were treated as discrete vocabulary items. Using a small sample of EMH subjects, the researchers…

Although teachers have long used both rewards and punishments as incentives for listening, previous studies were inconclusive concerning the relationships between listening effectiveness and types and amounts of incentives given to listeners. The effects of different amounts of punishment and reward incentives (defined by varying additions and…

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit on poetry is intended for grades one and two. The primary objective of the unit is to encourage the appreciation of poetry among children. The suggested questions or exercises are limited to simple comprehension or discussion questions; no attempt is made at any sort of…

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit on stories is intended for grades one and two. The purpose of the unit is to build in students a foundation for enjoyment of literature. The suggested questions or exercises that deal with the stories are limited to simple comprehension or discussion questions; no attempt is…

This pilot project proposed to construct a test or battery of tests to measure (1) the music discrimination abilities of school children aged 12 and under; (2) children's understanding of such basic concepts as rhythm, melody, and harmony; and (3) the ability of children to apply these concepts in music listening. Musical excerpts representing a…

A test of literary judgment which could be used to investigate some aspects of a student's discrimination and response to literature was constructed for this study. Each of the two forms of the test consisted of four parts--"Thematic Imitation,""Paragraph Selection,""Title Choice," and "Distorted Images." One form of the test was administered as a…

Reviews some technological advances and classroom games which may be used to increase listening comprehension skills in the foreign language classroom. These include the Random Access Memory (RAM), the Sens-it-Cell, and the SCUCHO game. (AM)

Third grade students' comprehension scores suggest that there is a significant difference between three modes of reception (oral reading, silent reading, and listening), with oral reading significantly more effective than silent reading in promoting comprehension. (HOD)

Two experiments examined the responses of 19-34 month old children to sentences susceptible to more than one interpretation. Results indicate that young children interpret and respond to language in terms of an action-based strategy and that even young children engage in a continuous, context-sensitive process of interpretation. (Author/JAC)

The ability of two and three-year-old children to comprehend the prepositions in, on, and under was tested. Results suggest that the young child's comprehension of locative instructions involves an interaction between aspects of the instruction's word meanings, word order, and the child's understanding of the context. (Author/MV)

Various ways to use foreign language radio broadcasts in comprehension practice, speaking practice, and written work are outlined. BBC and other broadcasts in several languages are listed and annotated as to age level and topics. (CHK)