Argues that silence has a remarkable presence, and that hearing silence is about stopping and not doing, letting the sounds of the world come to you. Describes ways the author has worked with elementary school students, asking them to think about and write about silence. Includes poems about silence. (SR)

Nursing students (n=162) were asked to identify personal qualities of counselors. Although the literature identifies listening as a skill, not a quality, 73% named being a good listener a counselor quality. Results may imply that change is needed in the teaching of counseling skills. (SK)

Suggests rethinking purposes of the second-language listening lesson, and examines ways the skill can be taught, not just practiced. The approach is based on micro-listening exercises that practice individual subskills of listening. Implications of authentic materials are examined, a case is made for teaching recognition of features of spontaneous…

This study compared the speech perception skills over time (mean = 3.5 years) of 74 prelingually deaf children using cochlear implants with the predicted speech perception skills of 58 similar children using hearing aids. Generally, speech perception scores for the children using cochlear implants were higher that those predicted for children with…

Studied the sampling variability of estimated variance components using data collected over several years for a listening and writing performance assessment and evaluated the stability of estimated measurement precision. Results indicate that the estimated variance components varied from one year to another and suggest that the measurement…

Assesses effectiveness of a representational visual imagery training program on the reading and listening comprehension of a group of poor listening comprehenders (mean age: 7 years 8 months). Finds significant improvement on a curriculum-based test of listening comprehension, a standardised test of reading comprehension, and a measure of story…

Some campers' parents blow problems out of proportion or want to micromanage in a way that ignores the big picture of camp or indicates a lack of trust in camp staff. Approaches for dealing with challenging calls from parents include staying calm and inquiring about the problem, validating parents' feelings, and being firm and clear about one's…

States that good acting begins with listening. Declares that actors serve the script by telling its story simply and dramatically. Suggests ways to help actors listen and interact on stage. Notes that repetition games are effective. Discusses "instant playwriting," an exercise that demonstrates the power that listening well on stage can…

Examined children's auditory perception of traffic sounds, focusing on identification of vehicle movement. Subjects were 60 children of 5, 8, and 11 years. Results indicated that the auditory perception of movement was a problem area for children, especially five-year olds. Discussed the role of attention-demanding characteristics of some traffic…

A cross-dialectal comprehension test was conducted at Ohio University and three of its branch campuses. Results indicated that vowel changes occurring in Southern Ohio were generally interpreted by respondents in terms of their own vowel systems, and that limited exposure to the local dialect by outsiders led to recognition only of the more…

Studied how children learn to identify what is meant by what is said in communicative practices, focusing on the interplay between the adult and the child. Results for 21 Swedish children aged 3 to 5 show that whether children are able to adopt other people's perspectives is a situated affair that reflects the way in which they are brought into a…

A study investigated subjective judgments of clarity and intelligibility in 20 listeners in conditions in which speech was equated for predicted intelligibility but varied in bandwidth. Listeners produced clarity and intelligibility ratings for the same speech material and experimental conditions that were highly related but differed in magnitude.…

A study compared the ability of 12 children with normal language and 12 children with specific language impairment (SLI) (ages 6-11) to comprehend natural speech and DECtalk synthetic speech. DECtalk was more difficult for all subjects to comprehend. Subjects with SLI had more difficulty comprehending both natural and synthetic speech. (Author/CR)

Invites further conversations on how listening may inform composition studies. Explores disciplinary and cultural biases that subordinate listening to reading, writing and speaking. Speculates why listening is needed. Offers an extended definition of rhetorical listening as a trope for interpretive invention. Demonstrates how rhetorical listening…

A study examined perceptual-weighting strategies and performance-audibility functions of 11 children with moderate hearing impairments (HI), 11 age-matched peers, 11 adults with moderate HI, and 11 typical adults. Results showed both hearing sensitivity and age effects. Listeners with HI required lower levels of audibility to achieve similar…