Intended for teachers, parents, information specialists, and others interested in instructional materials for handicapped children, the manual provides a listing of descriptive words and concepts used in indexing and retrieving instructional materials within the National Instructional Materials Information System (NIMIS). Descriptors are presented…

An audiovisual consultant presents a guide to selecting suitable and cost effective tape and cassettes. He describes and illustrates physical properties of tapes and includes a list of manufacturers and suppliers. (MF)

Video's use of longer input sentences with only loosely defined learning aims can create positive conditions for second language acquisition by providing contextualized language input in a low-anxiety environment and by positively harnessing the medium's entertainment associations. (Author/CB)

Offers basic advice on using a word processor to teach writing, from how to choose the appropriate software before selecting a computer and a printer, to the benefits of using a word processor instead of a typewriter. (NKA)

Reports on the results of a survey of homeowners in two Wisconsin communities which examined the relationship of media use to a set of cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral components of energy conservation. Suggests that conservation campaigns take into account communication patterns and energy use of specific groups of consumers. (TW)

States that academic freedom is probably better described today as a protected interest rather than a right. Offers a set of policy guidelines for handling censorship efforts. Includes a sample statement of policy on the selection and reconsideration of instructional materials. (JDH)

A discussion of audiovisual instruction in the law school classroom looks at the strengths, weaknesses, equipment and facilities needs and hints for classroom use of overhead projection, audiotapes and videotapes, and slides. (MSE)

Eight French dictionaries and encyclopedic reference books are reviewed, focusing on their formats, characteristics, and intended uses. They include references for language, geopolitics and economics, economic history, signs and symbols, and an almanac. (MSE)

The most appropriate literature for study in general education is world literature from antiquity to the present, not limited to English-language works but expanded to include translated readings concerning basic moral and political issues. (MSE)

The Secretary of Education recently claimed that the American public is losing faith in colleges and universities because faculty are removing classic works from the curriculum and replacing them with watered-down offerings, drawing criticism from campus administrators. (MSE)

A well-designed set of French language instructional materials, consisting of storybooks, cassette tapes, and oral and written activities designed for five to eight year olds, is reviewed. (MSE)

Combines Marxist notions of ideology with the theory of reader response to reveal the subjectivity of reading, in general. Foreign language reading, in particular, not only involves the understanding of text but the cultural and literary aspects of the target language as well. (CB)

Offers some generalizations resulting from the Hunters Wetlands Trust of New South Wales (Australia). Deals with credibility and factual information, use of the broadcast and print media, field days, the use of local talent, timing and opportunism, lobbying, positive thinking, the magnifier effect and evaluation. (TW)

Classic literary and philosophical texts have a unique place in fostering inquiry and awareness, stemming from the relation between inquiry and the ability to empathize with radically new perspectives. College students need exposure to them to increase both awareness and knowledge. (MSE)

Examines the listening process and delineates some of the strategies used by listeners to extract meaning from spoken input. The importance of listening comprehension development in second language acquisition is discussed, as are types of activities and listening materials which can be used to foster development of listening comprehension. (SED)