Predictions from Anderson's theories of structured communication were tested in grade eitht biology classes. Students given verbal instruction with a high degree of structure performed better on acquisition tests than students receiving less structured lessons. (AL)

A report from the Educational Resources Information Center at the National Council of Teachers of English; includes ERIC abstracts of documents pertinent to this topic. (RD)

Explains how elementary, high school, and college students communicated silently via the chalkboard. (SW)

Examples of answers college students studying to be elementary teachers gave to sample student errors and questions in mathematics are presented. The bulk of the prospective answers are judged to have serious flaws. The analysis of such "poor" answers is suggested as a useful vehicle in teacher training programs. (MP)

Briefly discusses factors involved in conceptualizing teaching and learning as linguistic processes, providing an overview of methodological approaches emerging in the literature and presenting selective findings on the nature of teaching and learning processes from both teachers' and students' perspectives. (MP)

Role playing has as advantages that it involves the whole individual, brings language alive, permits expression beyond simple reproduction of language, takes the focus off the teacher, and creates spontaneity. Possible difficulties stem from teacher unwillingness, inappropriate uses, different degrees of student involvement, and technical…

To produce a curriculum guide that is practical calls for an awareness of the working context of the practitioner and an ability to translate that intuitive awareness into an explicit description which captures the essence of what teaching is. Health education project materials are used to illustrate the translating demands. (RM)

Results of a study show that increasing the amount of time teachers allow for students to answer questions produces a number of positive results, including (1) increases in the length of student response, (2) increases in the number of unsolicited responses, and (3) improvement in student-to-student interaction. (FL)

Describes techniques which enable high school teachers to use German in their classes as a means of communication and not just as an abstract problem for students to master. Covers using different media techniques, students as teachers, different approaches to the textbook, culture materials, and oral interview tests. (EKN)

Presents a variety of materials that can be used to supplement the textbook and to meet some sudden need or instructional purpose. Focuses especially on materials to be used in the classroom to build communicative competence and student interaction. Practice activities illustrate the use of strip stories, logic puzzles, and others. (MES)

Argues that putting children in the questioning role in a discussion leads them to higher levels of thinking. Describes several methods designed to stimulate question creation. (FL)

Writing conferences enable student writers to get feedback and make improvements as they write. Both teachers and students see writing as an evolving process rather than as a unalterable product to be corrected. Tips on how to manage conferences and examples of their use with students are given. (PP)

Techniques for initiating good discussion in class include: examining goals and values, noting concrete images in text, generating questions among students, finding illustrative quotations, small group discussion, generating truth statements, forced debates, role playing, non-structured scene-setting, and eliciting opinoins of the text. (MSE)