Understanding spoken English is often difficult for students of English as a second language because words are run together. Some of the common types of word blendings are: final consonant sounds, links with beginning vowel sound, same consonant is shared across word borders, and similar consonants blend. (SW)

Suggests a reading exercise to increase student interest and comprehension in social studies. Presents directions for a geography lesson in land use planning as an example of how the reading exercise can be used to teach specific social science concepts. (Author/DB)

Suggests applying questioning strategies based on literal, interpretive, and applied levels to reading assignments. (MKM)

This work investigated the young child's ability to respond appropriately to the intended, as opposed to the literal, meaning of one class of such utterances, requests for action. An action-based response heuristic is proposed to explain the apparent ability of two-year-olds to deal with indirect speech acts. (Author/SW)

Discussing G. Neuner's article on the reading comprehension test in issue no. 2, 1977, of this journal, the construction of the test, the distribution of points, problem design, and choice of texts are criticized. Suggestions for correcting are given. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

An extra-curricular Russian course in York, England, is outlined. Course materials and texts are described. Intensive oral skills introduction sets the stage for development of other skills; speaking and listening skills at the end of the course are impressive. Reading is done as homework and related to aural-oral development. (CHK)

Advanced second language students' listening needs call for improvement in processing spoken discourse. Psychological data on memory span and linguistic discourse analysis findings are cited in support. A three-phase approach to listening instruction is proposed. (CHK)

Describes quantitatively some aspects of the state of affairs of educational methods for teaching reading to deaf children in England and Wales. (Author/RK)

Word formation is seen as receiving too little attention in foreign language teaching; its study increases auditory and reading understanding. Practical suggestions are given for collecting and arranging material, and for analyzing the structure of words. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

An experiment with the British 16-plus examinations in French was intended to investigate the principle of an incline of difficulty in language testing and the problems facing an examiner in setting different tests on an incline. The test contained sections on reading comprehension and writing. Results are discussed. (CHK)

The Process Assessment model focuses on the task, the student, and the environment. Think-Aloud Protocol Analysis, a diagnostic procedure consistent with the model, was used to evaluate a fourth grade student's reading difficulties, resulting in the implementation of several interventions to provide feedback and increase self-monitoring. (CB)

Notes the problem in reading instruction of teaching children both one-to-one representational meaning of words and world-meaning of words, a distinction that can alter their perception of truth as found in written works. (JC)

Argues that picture books pose difficulties for young children who are not yet equipped to interpret them. (AEW)

Examines the purposes children believe illustrations serve in story books. Indicates, based on comments of 26 first graders who read a book and commented on the illustrations, that (1) advanced readers saw illustrations as distinct from text, (2) median readers saw a close relationship between pictures and text, and (3) beginning readers…

Discusses the evaluation and testing procedures schools use to evaluate and test reading achievement. Identifies three major categories of tests: achievement/survey, diagnostic, and informal reading inventories. (AEW)