The study described here offers a model of target-context relations in language comprehension. It is based on the hypothesis that the same formal mechanisms that produce cohesion in discourse and texts are critically involved in language comprehension. The model posits that: (1) the comprehension of a target turn is primarily dependent on the…

Research into the influence of a context sentence on the processing of a subsequent sentence in spoken discourse examined two issues: (1) whether context influences the immediate processing and organization of a subsequent clause, and (2) whether listeners make certain types of context-based inferences prior to the end of a sentence. Three…

Results of some of the Modern Language Association (MLA) Cooperative Foreign Language Tests, administered to students of Spanish, German, and French in grades 9-12 in the Pennsbury School District of Pennsylvania are compared with the national norms. Although most of the comparison is set up in tablees a summary of the analysis is included.…

An audio-comprehension examination administered to students of French in 20 Alberta high schools is discussed here. The examination is briefly described and evaluated in terms of validity, reliability, emphasis, economy, and ease of scoring and administering. Also given are brief recommendations for test improvement, resulting from an analysis of…

Although lower socioeconomic status (SES) black children have been shown to be inferior to middle-SES white children in communication accuracy, whether the problem is in encoding (production), decoding (comprehension), or both is not clear. To evaluate encoding and decoding separately, tape recordings of picture descriptions were obtained from…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a structured listening program on 220 first-, second-, and third-grade students enrolled in Title I schools in the ALbuquerque, New Mexico, public school system. All of the students were given the Educational Testing Service's Cooperative Primary Tests: Listening, and the author's own…

This study investigated learning through listening at rates ranging from 178 to 378 words per minute. Three presentation strategies--a single presentation, a double presentation, and a double presentation with a one-week interval between the presentations--were compared. Immediate and one-week retention data were gathered on each subject.…

Summarized are results of an investigation of elementary age listeners' preferences for the rate of presentation of recorded information in which it was found that children, when given the opportunity, will manipulate the rate of presentation of recorded information, that they have a preference for rates of presentation, and that individual…

In compressed speech listening tests, performance was not significantly affected by listening aids presented during training. The aids consisted of a summary of the material to be heard and a list of key words in the material to be heard; the summary was presented to one group and the list of key words to another group. A third group did not…

This study, conducted over a period of three weeks at the University of Kansas, attempted to determine whether knowledge of musical structure would effect greater understanding and, eventually, enjoyment of music. Experimental and control groups comprising freshmen who were not enrolled in a music course listened repeatedly to excerpts of…

Following a brief attempt to find a synonym for oral communication (i.e., speaking and listening) the research on listening is referred to in an effort to stress the need for more instruction in listening and reading skills. It is pointed out the listening is an indispensable tool in the teaching of reading and provides the foundation on which all…

This study compared the effect of instructional activities on the listening behaviors of preschool children in a university day-care center. The children were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The results showed that children who had participated in listening instruction increased in their ability to follow directions, were…

This study demonstrated that black first grade children from disadvantaged backgrounds understood a Black English version of a story better than an equivalent Standard English version. The testing was done in South Georgia. The story was "peer-prepared," that is, it was a story told by a black child about his own experiences and in his own words.…

This guide to a series of 32 weekly radio programs designed for level 2, college Spanish classes outlines the contents of each broadcast. The programs, originating from The Ohio State University, are planned to help students improve their listening comprehension skills while developing improved student attitudes toward the study of the target…

Describes the oral language examinations developed by ARELS (Association of Recognized English Language Schools). Copies of the examinations in the form of "Picture Story Booklets" and "Reading Passage Booklets" can be obtained from ARELS, 15 Holland Park Gardens, London W14 8DZ. (IFS/WGA)