Based on the 1998 Arkansas State Language Arts Framework, this framework lists benchmarks for kindergarten through grade four in writing; reading; and listening, speaking, and viewing. The writing section's stated standards are to help students employ a wide range of strategies as they write; use different writing process elements appropriately to…

A study investigated the extent to which American learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) are able to distinguish polite Japanese speech, and the effect of instruction on this skill. Specifically, it looked at performance on a midterm listening comprehension question in which students listened to self-introductory speeches of three job…

There are very few examples of audio-based computerized tests, but for many disciplines, such as foreign language and music, there appear to be many benefits to this type of testing. The purpose of the present study was to develop and compare computer-delivered and audiocassette/paper-and-pencil versions of a listening test. The test was a measure…

This paper describes a study which examined the effectiveness of explicit instruction in English intonation in listening tasks in an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) course taught to four Japanese high school students. The students' exposure to real-world English listening situations had been limited, and the majority were focusing more on…

Cognitive theories normally applied to listening comprehension are applied to the use of visuals with mass media broadcasts for second language instruction: the visual image as advance organizer, as reinforcement of concrete information, and as an association with abstract information. A related study in Germany is cited and illustrated. (MSE)

A method was devised for interskill comparative evaluation of instructional programs, termed growth-referenced evaluation. The method focuses on comparative rate of improvement and provides empirical indication of areas for program intervention and reform. It is explained with reference to a sample of 485 adult EFL students in a baccalaureate…

Reviewed 45 assessment instruments with respect to content domains, response and scoring procedures, administrative feasibility, target populations, and potential sources of test bias. Identified priorities for future research and development in communication competence testing. (PD)

Discusses the process of native language learning and explores the relationship between it and second language learning. It is suggested that in a language curriculum, the initial emphasis should be on receptive skills. Accuracy, appropriateness, and fluency in communication are discussed, as well as instructional modes for training in these…

Elementary school children's understanding was assessed after they read or listened to brief texts that described a scene, explained a sequence of events, or told a story. Results indicated that effectiveness in understanding depends on the fluency with which component processes of perceptual recognition, comprehension, and memory are coordinated.…

Listening to native speakers' taped situational interchanges on a frequent basis from the onset of instruction offers numerous advantages to the language learner. Gives suggestions to the instructor on how to make, obtain, and use such tapes. (PMJ)

Verbal coding and listening comprehension ability differed among skilled and less skilled readers in second, third, and fifth grades. As verbal coding speed increased, comprehension skill became the more important predictor of reading skill. Apparently, verbal coding processes, which are slow, inhibit other reading processes. (Author/CP)

The behavior of 32 mothers during an object-retrieval game was analyzed in terms of the hints and clues they used to direct their children's attention; age-related differences were found in the type of information offered. (Author)

Provides guidelines for the selection of audio materials for developing listening comprehension in beginning French. (AM)

Reports on a classroom-based, longitudinal study of the effect of learner strategy instruction on listening comprehension. The hypothesis that systematic instruction in the use of strategies will result in the improvement of listening comprehension was confirmed. (Author/JL)

The functional architecture of the verbal processing resource system was studied by testing aphasic patients in Canada and Boston for their abilities to use syntactic structure in sentence comprehension in isolation and under dual-task conditions. Results indicate that the processing resource system underlying syntactic processing is separate from…