Comprehension of metaphor in preschoolers was studied through an elicited repetition task. It was shown that the metaphors were not semantically anomolous to the children and that they were processed on a par with literal language. (Author/CB)

Reviews the literature on the role of background knowledge in second-language listening comprehension, presents findings of pertinent first- and second-language research, and reports on a study showing the importance of schemata in second-language listening comprehension and the role of linguistic knowledge. (34 references) (Author/CB)

Reports results of cloze tests in reading and listening given to Scottish children. Indicates a continuing interdependence of reading and listening ability up to age 14. Concludes that success in comprehending narratives may not necessarily transfer to comprehending information. (RS)

The oral foundations of narrative knowledge are examined as a linkage to literacy acquisition problems. Examined are kinds of narrative knowledge acquired, the nature of story organization, and developmental acquisitions in story recall and generation. The performance patterns of language learning-disabled children on oral story recall and…

"Profiles in Listening and Reading" is presented as a screening test assessing listening and reading comprehension of extended discourse, based on the sentence verification technique. A study of 60 seventh graders and another study of 166 fourth, sixth, and eighth graders show some promise for the test's validity and diagnostic usefulness.…

Reviews the research on how readers or listeners construct mental models of the situation a writer or speaker is describing. Narrative components and spatial models are discussed. (YP)

Argues that the most readily available source of input for the independent-minded second language learner comes in the form of radio broadcasts. An approach to the independent study of French, with the use of broadcast radio, emphasizing frequent input, working at home, self-monitoring and immediate feedback, and attention to detail is described.…

The study used 32 children (mean age 11 years) with moderate sensorineural hearing losses to examine whether Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language (TACL) scores were significantly affected by mode of presentation. No differences were found between auditory-only and auditory-visual modes of presentation. (Author/DB)

A native speaker-nonnative speaker conversational adjustment in the relative proportions of information type was examined for its relation to communicative success. Analyses indicated that an increase in the proportion of background detail correlated with comprehension problems for second-language learners. (22 references) (Author/VWL)

Two French computer software packages that can be of assistance in teaching French-as-a-Second-Language are described and discussed. One, an authoring aid, contains the format for a series of dialogues and comprehension questions. The other allows the production and manipulation of databases and texts. (MSE)

Adolescents whose speech or listening disorders remain untreated are headed for academic and social failure. Presents a screening process for teachers to use in looking for certain warning signs of speech and listening disorders and offers suggestions for establishing a treatment program. (MLF)

Examined were the influences of three conditions of predictability on word-recognition performance by 30 normally hearing listeners. Significant differences in word recognition were observed among high-predictability phrases, low-predictability phrases, and a constant predictability-neutral carrier phrase, using three specific signal-to-babble…

Supports the use of authentic listening materials for students at all levels of English as a second language. A model of listening comprehension instruction that uses news broadcast materials in beginning and advanced student lesson plans is described. (Author/CB)

Presents a classroom version of a popular television game designed to provide students with practice in listening comprehension and speaking as well as an opportunity to review numbers and names of objects in Spanish. (Author/CK)

A multilanguage project for development of a foreign-language curriculum is reported along with the teaching method that has evolved from it. The method is represented primarily in a set of "mini-courses," each being a short introduction to a given language. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/LB)