Constructivist listening is a tool for empowerment, community building, and educational change. It enables teachers and principals to think of themselves and their schools as centers for learning and change rather than as the target of change efforts for others. It enables people to assume responsibility for their actions and feelings. (Author)

Enormous potential exists for the transfer of listening comprehension theory to second language listening research. The need for such research is highlighted through an exploration of recurring themes in the literature on background knowledge and through application of these themes to second language listening comprehension. (CB)

The effects of training on the interpersonal skills of supervisors during interviews with teachers were studied. Focus was on skills in listening to teachers and collaborating with them in planning for instructional improvement. Findings raise questions about what is being defined by supervisors as instructional supervision in the schools. (JD)

Contrasts good and poor readers' text recall while listening and while reading aloud to determine if poor readers have a decoding problem, a comprehension problem, or both. Finds no significant difference in listening comprehension between good and poor readers for either easy or difficult texts. (MM)

Examines strategies that students use to signal comprehension problems in classrooms, specifically, requests for clarification. Finds strategies differ with regard to the type and amount of communicative effort required of participants. (MS)

Describes a listening lesson plan to teach in conjunction with the basal story "Sam Clemens of Hannibal." (MM)

Grosjean and Gee's prosodic structure theory is applied to second-language listening comprehension. It is argued that second-language students whose native language is syllable-timed do not have a mechanism to deal with unstressed syllables and must create one. The absences of this mechanism helps explain difficulties in listening comprehension.…

Uses hierarchical regression logic to isolate the relationship between wide reading and reading-related language development in 122 fourth graders. Finds that higher levels of wide reading were associated with stronger listening comprehension ability. Finds indirect evidence to suggest that wide readers may be increasing their listening…

This study examined the effect on comprehension of the number of propositions in a piece of spoken discourse, words per minute (WPM) rate, and presentation of pictures with the discourse. Results indicated better comprehension at lower WPM and when pictures were presented. No significant interactions were found. (14 references) (MES)

Investigates the value of college-level instruction in listening beyond course completion. Finds that all former students would recommend the course to others but that the course did not have the desired impact in the area of "therapeutic" listening. Concludes that the course may have a greater effect if it comes earlier in a program. (RS)

Analyzes the requests for clarification used by instruction receivers. Discusses insights about the interactive nature of communication success and failure with regard to route directions. Provides validation for a model of message comprehension. (HB)

Finds that oral retelling of stories (as an instructional procedure with language learning-disabled students) is most effective in a one-to-one context with the teacher as audience. Finds students' oral retelling abilities inconsistent with regard to age. (SR)

Presents the inner dialogue and debate about teaching between several voices within a teacher who is trying to listen better to the whole of himself. Points out that listening better to students is a way of modeling the importance of learning to listen to each other. (SR)

Eight congenitally blind children (ages 6-11), individually matched with 8 sighted children (ages 4-10), were tested for their ability to identify vocal expressions of emotion and the sounds of a range of nonemotional objects. They had specific difficulty recognizing emotions according to vocal qualities. (Author/DB)

This investigation documented how hearing-impaired adults (n=8) use communication repair strategies and attempted to change these strategies by communication therapy. Subjects practiced using alternative repair strategies when they did not correctly speechread a videotaped sentence. After therapy, subjects utilized the "repeat" strategy less and…