This inquiry explores the educative meaning of interruptions or breaks in teacher's experiences by looking at their role in reflection and listening. Reflection and listening are not only two vital and distinct aspects of teaching, but are also interrelated and as such can serve to productively inform one another. In this context, I develop the…

The nature and origin of the human capacity for acquiring language is not yet fully understood. Here we uncover early roots of this capacity by demonstrating that humans are born with a preference for listening to speech. Human neonates adjusted their high amplitude sucking to preferentially listen to speech, compared with complex non-speech…

The prosodic aspects of hypokinetic dysarthria in Parkinson's disease (PD) have been the focus of numerous reports. Few data on the effects of levodopa on prosody, more specifically on the effects on the variability of prosodic characteristics such as pitch, loudness and speech rate, are available in advanced PD. The relation between these…

Listening and reading comprehension can be assessed by analyzing children's visual, verbal, and written representations of their understandings. "Talking Drawings" (McConnell, S. (1993). Talking drawings: A strategy for assisting learners. "Journal of Reading", 36(4), 260-269 is one strategy that enables children to combine…

Listening is an important skill for all, but it is critical for musicians and those who love music. National Standard 6 calls for students to listen to, analyze, and describe a wide variety of music. This listening, analysis, and description can pose challenges for older students who are familiar with a narrow repertoire and accustomed to music as…

In recent years teachers within the classroom have experienced an increase in the off-task behaviors of students. The purpose of this action research project was to increase on-task behavior through development of classroom social skills. The causes may be a lack of social skills, outside influences, presentation of materials, students not…

Educators need accurate assessments of preschool cognitive growth to guide curriculum design, evaluation, and timely modification of their instructional programs. But available tests do not provide content breadth or growth sensitivity over brief intervals. This article details evidence for a multiform, multiscale test criterion-referenced to…

This study investigated the relationship of first language (L1) skills in elementary school and second language (L2) learning in high school. Students classified as high-, average-, and low-proficiency L2 learners were compared on L1 achievement measures of reading, spelling, vocabulary, phonological awareness, and listening comprehension…

To facilitate the interpretation of test scores from the redesigned TOEIC® (listening and reading) test as a measure of English language proficiency, we administered a self-assessment inventory to TOEIC examinees in Japan and Korea that gathered perceptions of their ability to perform a variety of everyday English language tasks. TOEIC scores…

An overview of the literature of listening illustrates the lack of sufficient research in this area. A 1955 survey of curriculum guidebooks and bulletins for the inclusion of listening demonstrates the effect of limited research: most documents devoted anywhere from two to six pages to listening in elementary through secondary school levels. In…

The listening skills component of the Interpersonal Skills Training Program for staff of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service was evaluated. Such services can help individuals and client families explore alternatives and develop resources for coping with crises. An instrument developed by J. E. Jones and L. Mohr (1986) was used…

The rationale for delayed oral practice in language teaching is that the same rules underlie both speaking and listening and that the student has to understand how a language works before being capable of creating a sentence in the language. Having to focus on speaking performance as well as on listening comprehension distracts the learner from…

What better way is there to learn about something than to hold it, examine it, and take it apart? The Match Box Project (Materials and Activities for Teachers and Children) loans to schools a series of boxes which contain materials, equipment, supplies, and activities designed as a unit to foster the teaching/learning of specific subjects at the…

The five major chapters of this preliminary investigation contain: (1) a description of the contextual setting of the study and a discussion of its objectives and hypotheses, (2) review and analysis of related studies, (3) procedures and design of the investigation and operational definition of elements, (4) enumeration of results, and, (5) the…

First language studies show boys superior to girls in listening vocabulary, though girls are otherwise superior in language ability. A second language study used two sets of Chinese college students (n=285 and 205). Ten tests for proficiency in English and two listening vocabulary tests (described in text) yielded similar results. (Author/LMO)