Compares pair work to other modes of classroom interaction in a group of 20 mixed-nationality English-as-a-foreign-language students. The pedagogical, social, cultural, and psychological implications of pair work are questioned, and the use of pair work as an unquestioned "blanket" methodology is challenged. (13 references) (JL)

Examines students' summaries of three lectures. Finds that the percentage, but not the number, of propositions correlated positively with the accuracy scores in the summaries. Suggests that analyses of errors, lexical substitutions, discrepancies in grades, and differences in students' scores for the different lectures revealed interesting results…

Discusses students' resistance to a cross-listed women's studies/composition course taught by an inexperienced teacher. Notes that most of the writing assignments became disconnected from the class itself and that teaching writing got lost in the emotional shuffle of the class. Suggests that student resistance should not stop writing teachers from…

Offers eight rules for minimizing the danger of writing teachers "showing off" their writing to students during in-class analysis. (RS)

Study determined what parts of teacher behavior actually affect students and why students only pay attention at certain times. Researchers observed preschool teachers interacting with students, recording all behaviors. Results indicated only 58 percent of teacher behaviors were effective. The more cognitively complex demands ran greater chance of…

The relationship between teachers' theories of language and learning and the nature of classroom discourse is explored. Data from two classes on Aborigine lifestyles suggest that there are three components functioning in all lessons: interpersonal, content, and metalanguage. The quality of the metalanguage component influences the overall quality…

It is argued that the marketing concept should be applied to the student-teacher interaction in colleges and universities, focusing on marketing's consumer orientation, whereby the exchange process is driven by the desire of one party to satisfy the needs of the other. Relevant marketing mix variables are outlined. (MSE)

This study analyzed the fingerspelling of 25 teachers using Signing Exact English (SEE) 1 or 2, and 25 teachers using Manual/Signed English or Pidgin Signed English with their hearing-impaired students. Intergroup differences were not significant. Teachers used fingerspelling primarily to introduce novel words, spell short words, and spell proper…

A college professor found, unexpectedly, that students appreciated the opportunity to write journals as a class assignment, that they expressed themselves in varied and sometimes poignant ways, and that journal writing added a new and different dimension to the teacher-student relationship. The teacher's response to student entries was also…

Describes strategies used in a demonstration project monitoring teachers' use of Manually Coded English, American Sign Language, and pidgin signing in communicating with deaf students. Factors considered to influence teacher behavior included student characteristics, teacher training and certification, and support systems. (Author/CB)

Reports the findings and implications of an attempt to look closely into the social relations in a multicultural language classroom in Britain. Study results suggest the importance of the classroom as a society and that these dynamics may be influencing the pedagogic outcomes. (21 references) (GLR)

A reciprocal teaching procedure is described that involves four strategies: clarifying, identifying the main idea, summarizing, and predicting. Benefits are illustrated from transcripts of teacher-student interaction during adult student second-language reading classes. (Contains three references.) (LB)

A hypothetical classroom discussion of the concepts of force and inertia in an introductory college physics course provides a vehicle for college teachers to examine the teaching and learning process. In the class session, a question-and-answer/discussion session sparked student insight and inquiry. (MSE)

In mathematical research, the purpose of proof is to convince. In the classroom, the purpose of proof is to explain. Enlightened use of proofs in the mathematics classroom aims to stimulate the students' understanding, not to meet abstract standards of rigor or honesty. (Author)

Describes writing conferences as a productive supplement to classroom teaching, and examines teacher behavior and the language they employ during these conferences. Supports the idea that current findings in sociolinguistics could better inform classroom practices and increase awareness and understanding of the impact of "teacher talk." Contains…