Two experiments were conducted (1) to identify the component processes of language comprehension that draw upon cognitive capacity for their execution, and (2) to determine differences in patterns of resource allocation during integrative processing for good and poor readers. In the first experiment, nine good and nine poor college-age readers…

The one-parameter psychometric model known as the Rasch model is described and examined. The basic principles underlying the model and the concepts of unidimensionality, local stochastic independence, and additivity are explained in non-mathematical terms. The requirements of measurement procedures, the measurement of latent traits, the control on…

Two studies examined children's perceptual biases in extracting or identifying words from the stream of speech. In one study, evidence for the salience of stressed and final syllables was found. Young children less frequently omitted those syllables from their productions and produced unstressed and nonfinal syllables less accurately. A second…

A study was conducted to assess engineers' perceived levels of communication effectiveness, the degree and type of their communication training, and their perceived need for and willingness to receive additional communication training. Questionnaires were mailed to 400 members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Analyses of…

The relationships that exist among the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening suggest a need for greater attention to oral communication processes in the formal instructional program. The extent of these relationships is such that four national associations drafted a joint paper stating that oral language competency is the basis for…

Views on the role of speech in the early stages of English as second language (ESL) acquisition are discussed in relation to experiences with elementary school children. In examining the roles of speech and grammar in the early stages of ESL acquisition in an English speaking elementary school environment, six types of expressive language were…

This handbook is designed to help vocational teachers promote the development of student oral communication skills in cluster programs. It is divided into two major sections on speaking and listening. Covered in the unit on speaking are the following topics: the importance of speaking in general and in vocational education classes in particular,…

Aspects of second language learning and instruction are explored in order to develop a rationale for a comprehension-based approach to language instruction. Eight characteristic pedagogical assumptions are critically examined, including assumptions regarding the role of grammar, age differences in learning ability, the priority given to each of…

This review of the literature on rate-controlled or compressed speech begins by tracing the historical development of compressed speech with emphasis on earlier approaches to the problem, e.g., changing speaking rate, simplifying text, changing tape speed, or using a sampling technique. An overview of research from 1917 to 1974 highlights the…

Memory for sex of the speaker and language of presentation of a spoken message was high and reliably better when the features were instrumental for comprehending the message than when they were not. This suggests that the physical characteristics of an event may be deeply or elaborately encoded when they are meaningful in light of the task…

Noting that teachers wishing to increase students' listening skills must focus on modification of specific causes of ineffective communication behavior rather than theorizing about generic symptoms, this paper describes a competency oriented approach for improving listening skills. The paper first provides a rationale for improving listening…

Reading aloud is a rhetorical act. Its purpose is always to communicate, which is a transactional form involving the oral reader and at least one real or imaginary listener. Whenever a person reads aloud, the reader has some intent of reading to someone. In all such situations, readers interpret orally for the mood and meaning that seem…

The professional instructional designer frequently develops instruction for someone else--an outside client, another department of his or her organization, or colleagues who have content knowledge but lack specific instructional skills. The role of consultant poses unique hazards and opportunities, as it requires the use of relationship and…

The authors offer concrete suggestions on how principals can improve their communication with students. Making communication an honest reflection of everyone's search for meaning opens the channels of interest in even the most reluctant, they say. (Editor)