Most information is still conveyed to university students through lectures. This necessitates that students have sophisticated listening and note-taking skills, and poses additional difficulties for non-native students. To identify areas for improvement, science lectures in English in the Sultanate of Oman were analyzed. The relationship between…

A study of the listening strategies of college students for whom English is a second language analyzed their oral and written responses to listening selections. The analysis resulted in 17 individual strategies classified in six broad categories. More and less proficient listeners were distinguishable by the frequency of the strategies they used…

A sensitive topic can be used effectively in a class of English as a second language (ESL) if planned carefully. While there are the risks that non-native students will become embarrassed and withdrawn, or will develop negative feelings about American society, there are ways to minimize those risks. This can be done by considering the…

A study examined variables that affect the acquisition of automaticity of verbal skills. Among the variables examined were practice, novelty or familiarity of a word or word category, the speed and efficiency with which persons acquire automaticity, reaction time, and number of tasks performed concurrently. Subjects, 30 sixth and seventh grade…

Noting that both the structural characteristics of television and the characteristics of the viewer may influence comprehension of television news, a study tested the hypothesis that the synchronous presentation of television news will maximize learning for viewers with low prior knowledge of program content. Synchronous and nonsynchronous…

It is important to teach listening strategies to second language learners because listening comprehension is a needed and wanted skill, and is also generally neglected. The traditional audiolingual approach does not see listening comprehension as a priority and gives little opportunity to practice listening. Traditional materials are…

Questionnaires were completed by 62 college professors in a study to determine the specific reading and listening comprehension difficulties students were having in various introductory courses (including humanities, natural and social sciences, and the technical professions), and to determine the instructional techniques used by professors to…

Undergraduate English faculty and faculty in six graduate fields were surveyed about students' academic listening needs. The objectives were (1) to obtain perceptions of the importance to academic success of various listening skills and activities, (2) to assess the degree to which both native and non-native speakers experience difficulties with…

Class activities for developing Spanish proficiency in third- and fourth-year high school students and first- and second-year college students are presented. Activities include a discussion of teaching for proficiency, drawing on recent research, and notes on the design and intent of the activities. Sample exercises for listening comprehension…

Using games in the classroom is discussed as a means of promoting the learning of second language structure, fluency, and culture, and complementing concept development and learning. Attention is directed to the development or adaptation of games to the English as a second language curriculum and the development of games to meet specific needs. It…

Part of a continuing series intended for use by reading professionals interested in understanding and improving the reading of adolescents, this report contains five articles dealing with a variety of subjects. Specific topics discussed in the articles include (1) remedial readers' comprehension during silent and oral reading, (2) recall and…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 13 titles include studies of traditional and phonemic spelling of fifth and sixth grade students; the cloze procedure as a method of teaching spelling; the effect of the clinically supervised teacher upon language arts…

The "nuts and bolts" of test construction concern the following areas: (1) common problems in test construction, (2) successful test formats, (3) specific testing concerns in the French individualized program (IFP) at the Ohio State University, and (4) references to help the test constructor. The specific problems considered deal with whether or…

Teachers' guidebooks that accompanied commonly used kindergarten, first, and second grade language arts kits or textbooks were reviewed to determine what listening tasks and thinking skills were stressed. Five first grade, five second grade, and two kindergarten kits/textbooks were selected for review. Examination of these materials clearly…

A curriculum is presented as part of a plan for improvinq English language instruction in secondary schools in Nigeria. The current status of English in Nigeria is viewed as ambiguous: the importance of English as a lingua franca and official language is contrasted with the neglect of English instruction and the failure to upgrade language…