This paper explores the nature of a fifth/sixth grade New York City teacher's image of good writing, its effect on teacher-student interactions, and its influence on students. These three aspects are interwoven through a discussion of writing from personal experience, selecting a particular form for a specific audience, and including elements of…

A study investigated whether learners of English as a Second Language can learn implicatures through explicit teaching. Data were drawn from an earlier experiment and analyzed for this purpose. Subjects were foreign university students with advanced English proficiency. Six types of implicature were taught. Students were encouraged to analyze the…

The use of rhetorical voice in literature and news reporting is examined and its implications for classroom study of literature are discussed. Analysis is based on Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of the novel and the definition of "voice" as an identifiable social role or position that a character enacts, and "ventriloquation" as the…

A study examined the language and interactions that occurred in classes where teachers felt they were providing an environment that fostered reasoning about their coursework. The discourse within the diverse classrooms of eight high school teachers (two each in American literature, American history, biology, and physics) was examined. In each…

A study of communication anxiety in second language learning investigated: (1) the role of four factors (sex, language learning experience, language studied, and confidence) in student apprehension about speaking in the classroom; and (2) students' stated reactions to speaking. Subjects were 101 college students in 4 intact French, Spanish, and…

Female instructors and female teaching assistants are still struggling to receive recognition as men's equals in academic circles. Although many obvious barriers have fallen, more base and personal forms of discrimination and harassment still exist. Women are trivialized in the professional system and are devalued by the administration. Students…

To study the extent to which environment affects or controls learning and communication, an exploratory case study examined the effects of a "novel" classroom environment on student and teacher interaction within the classroom. Freshman students in a traditional expository writing and speaking course at a large midwestern university met…

To provide normative data concerning what actually occurs during initial classroom interaction on the university level, a study described the first day activities of multiple classrooms across the academy at a large midwestern university. The following research questions were addressed: (1) what introductory material does the instructor provide?…

A study reexamined the role of the classroom teacher in mediating the educational needs and goals of the changing population and explored the role of teacher education programs in providing contexts for the preparation of culturally "relevant teachers." Subjects were 64 mainstream and bilingual/ESL teachers enrolled in 2 multicultural…

This paper examines the classroom interactions between students and instructors of different cultural backgrounds and offers insights as to how instructors might maximize their effectiveness with diverse groups. Inspired by the lived experiences of an African-American graduate student in a department staffed predominantly by European-American…

Implicit communication theory (which posits that certain communication behaviors evoke emotional responses in receivers) is a plausible explanation for the teacher behavior-student learning link. An integrated approach to testing the theory is available in the form of the Continuous Attitudinal Response Technology (CART), which enables subjects to…

Cultural interference in writing classrooms includes linguistic and social differences that lead to mixed signals both for students and teachers and unshared expectations among this community of learners. This can be seen particularly at a place like the University of Texas at El Paso, where the Hispanic community of students comprises…

A study examined the communication climate of a graduate teaching assistant's (GTA) college classroom. Because the teaching role is often new to the GTA, establishing a communication climate may be a significant factor in classroom management. One section of a public speaking class taught by a new graduate teaching assistant at a large midwestern…

This paper describes the communicative function of language in a monolingual public school kindergarten. The study was based on observations of classroom communication and interviews with the teacher. The paper describes the speech of students and the teacher during different segments of the school day, and presents an analysis of 290 speech acts…

A study investigated the styles teachers exhibit while interacting with children in literacy-enriched play settings, whether teachers switch between several different styles, and how different play interaction styles affect children's play behaviors. Subjects, seven 4-year-olds enrolled in a university laboratory preschool class, a lead teacher,…