A 5-second constant time delay procedure was used to teach 10 word definitions to 3 fifth grade students with mild learning handicaps. All students learned the definitions in 8 to 9 sessions with students maintaining correct responding at 6, 10, and 14 weeks after training. Generalization was also observed. (Author/DB)

Cognitive and academic behaviors promoted by an ongoing, long-term Direct Instruction preschool project for poverty level children (N=109) are described. Children who received two years of training achieved at substantially higher normative levels than children trained for only one year and this advantage continued in first and second grades.…

Outlines a mechanism for action in language preservation and renewal, preventing extinction of Canada's aboriginal languages. Proposes the Aboriginal Languages Foundation as part of a national strategy whereby the community retains control over language renewal programs with funding and resources from the Canadian government. Contains 37…

A sequential withdrawal design was used to examine the effect of social skills intervention on the frequency of positive peer interaction in four moderately hearing-impaired preschool children. High rates of positive peer interaction were maintained when teacher modeling and prompting were gradually (but not abruptly) withdrawn. (Author/DB)

Australia has a language paradox: great richness and great poverty of language resources. Despite its many cultures and immigrant groups, Australia emphasizes English-language assimilation and thereby endangers its chances for durable multilingualism. (MSE)

Studies assessing treatments for severe behavior problems of developmentally delayed persons were reviewed. Procedures used in the 382 studies, published from 1967-1987, were analyzed in terms of problem behaviors, side effects, and treatment methods. Also examined were number of studies reported yearly, maintenance and generalization of effects,…

Provides a checklist for troubleshooting malfunctions in classroom microcomputers and explains steps involved for each component. Areas that are addressed include tools to have available; checking computer cables; disk drives; the computer itself; the monitor, or receiver; printers; and software. (LRW)

A discussion of Occitan, a Romance language spoken in a large portion of France, looks at the history; irregular characteristics; orthographic and morphophonemic variations across dialects; and present status, which is in danger of becoming extinct because of neglect, of the language. (MSE)

The article describes a training program which effectively taught a profoundly retarded and blind nine-year-old boy to use a walker. One year follow-up indicated maintenance of treatment gains. Ambulation training was correlated with a significant reduction in stereotypic behavior. (Author/DB)

Analysis of phonological data from two Athapaskan languages demonstrated that underlying the apparent degeneration of their phonological systems was an orderly progression which could be viewed as a retarded process of language acquisition, indicating that dying languages mirror the successive stages of ontogenesis. (35 references) (Author/CB)

Effects of using dashboard stickers and signature sheets providing information on safety belt regulations were evaluated among 893 occupants of state-owned vehicles in three Florida agencies. Safety belt use increased significantly during the intervention phase in all three agencies and maintained variable but high levels for five months. (JW)

Suggests that Haitian Creole is subject to decreolization, characterized by movement toward French forms. Linguistic conflict and ambivalence on the part of both the bilingual elite and monolingual creole-speaking masses are held responsible. Opposing trends in language standardization and their implications for education are discussed.…

Factors affecting the survival or decline of French in Zaire are examined, including its social, cultural, and political status, the history of other European languages established in Africa, and the influences of intercultural needs and ethnic identity on the continued use of French. (Author/MSE)

Emphasizes the importance of such language program evaluation aspects as cultural preservation, funding, and language revitalization through a case example of a Canadian program teaching Saskatchewan Indian languages. (CB)

Language shift and language loss were studied in three generations of a Dutch immigrant family. Findings from an analysis of letters, interviews, a domain questionnaire, and editing and correction tests suggest increases in language shift with each generation although the degree of loss was rather slow in the first and second generation. (Contains…