Proposes to supplement the changes in oral interpretation pedagogy brought about in broadening the idea of "text" by describing an alternative approach to analyzing and performing texts based on semiotic theory and Robert Scholes' model of reading. (SR)

Provides a test that acquaints students with the metrical structure of a poem by selecting a familiar song that will accommodate the words of the poem. (PD)

Discusses issues of interpretation versus reading in oral interpretation, or the performance of literature. Offers an extended classroom example to make the case for alternative kinds of performance and their ability to keep practices of performing literature valuable in the current academic scene. (SR)

Outlines common abuses that occur when students first use dramatic analysis in oral interpretation. Offers guidelines to help make students' efforts more productive; uses William Carlos Williams's poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" as an example. (PD)

Outlines an exercise that gets students to experience the oral composition of poetry. Describes methods for implementing the exercise; discusses results and advantages. (PD)

Uses contemporary language theorists to argue that texts considered nonliterary by traditional standards share properties that theorists praise in literature, such as complexity, richness of language, and potential for interpretation. Insists that performance and literature have a historically sanctioned symbiotic relationship so strong that to…

Points out that issues in performance studies (oral interpretation) such as natural and literary language, performing ideology, and marginalized voices are not only not revolutionary but an extension or a return to traditional concerns of a 300-year tradition. (SR)

Describes an exercise that introduces students to the unique characteristics of the third-person narrator and also improves skills in observation, story telling, and analysis. (PD)

Clarifies the principles behind preparing a piece of literature for a Readers Theatre production. Uses Sylvia Plath's autobiographical novel, "The Bell Jar," as an example. (PD)

Describes a program of oral interpretation of poetry for children as a springboard into the language arts program. Describes the poetic nature of children, acknowledges rhythm as an important component of spoken language and poetry, and suggests possibilities for bringing children and poetry together through rhythmical experiences. (JMF)

Presents a rhetorical perspective for examining Shakespearean dramatic texts and an instructional framework for translating that perspective into the teaching of solo performance of Shakespearean dramatic literature. Describes techniques for implementing classroom performance that will develop and demonstrate student understanding of the text.…

Examines and suggests improvements in the broadcasting speech event (radio newscast reading) in forensic competition. (PD)

Reports the following concerns of beginning oral interpretation students: (1) dealing with stage fright; (2) finding suitable material; (3) analyzing the literature; and (4) using voice and body for performance. Proposes choral reading as an effective means to deal with these concerns, since the emphasis is on group rather than solo performance.…