Based on a paper given at the Third Annual Conference, International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language, in London, England, December 30, 1969 to January 2, 1970. (DS)

Calls for debaters and judges to understand methodological analysis used in debate rounds. Examines several argumentation and debate texts for approaches to the use of statistical evidence. Offers suggestions for handling methodological challenges and a method for weighing such arguments. (PD)

A new approach to measuring readability is proposed based on the analysis of texts as causally connected chains of actions, physical states, and mental states. Using the inference load formula reflecting the difficulty readers have in inferring causal connections, the difficulty of texts can be adjusted for readers differing in skill or knowledge.…

Looks at English handbooks and rhetoric texts and notes shortcomings in their treatment of research papers. Offers several remedies. (FL)

The Flesch reading formula is questioned as being appropriate for evaluating college economics textbooks. The Dale-Chall, Modified Dale-Chall, Fry, and Flesch formulas were used to evaluate nine introductory textbooks. There was little or no consistency in either the absolute reading levels or the rank orderings. (Author/AM)

This survey of 11 recently published biology textbooks includes an analysis of content, certain general characteristics, readability, and use of questions. Differences between these and earlier textbooks are noted. The reading difficulty of the new books is found to be less than for those covered in a previous survey. (Author/JN)

Fourteen high school physics textbooks are evaluated. Criteria include content, distribution/organization of content, level (appropriateness of presentation for high school students), readability, appearance, presentation of physics as a growing body of knowledge, awareness of social problems, and adequacy of materials for additional work by…

Describes the prevelance of sexist attitudes in modern language textbooks with many examples from dialogs and grammar exercises. Offers suggestions for combatting sex stereotyping. (EKN)

Excerpts from "On Learning to Read: The Child's Fascination with Meaning," by Bruno Bettelheim and Karen Zelan, emphasize the importance of meaning in teaching a child to read. Six reading specialists comment on the book and on teachers' problems in teaching children to read. (MLF)

Content analysis of systematically selected paragraphs of the three major textbooks used in teaching college-level home management courses was used to examine the hypothesis that they portray, and implicitly endorse, an ideal family type. Implications of the findings for home economists and family practitioners are discussed. (Author/CT)

Gas phase acidity data shown are offered to writers of elementary organic chemistry texts for replacement of the aqueous phase data that are universally used. Relative acidities in the gas phase are controlled virtually exclusively by enthalpic factors. Structural-energetic explanations of acidic trends can therefore be used. (SK)