The Guichard technique is a response to the need for lively, sustained conversation in the language class. Referring to simple blackboard drawings by the non-artist teacher, students create people and situations involving an imaginary French family. (Author/SW)

Describes a program to help secondary school students develop speech skills by exploring social issues through role-playing. Notes that this method motivates discouraged students, reduces communication anxiety, improves research skills, fosters appropriate verbal and nonverbal skills, and stimulates affective learning. (JG)

Examined the speech patterns of three- to eight-year-old children. Results showed that the children most often used "ah" phenomena and unfilled pauses as do adults. "Ah" phenomena showed a significant increase with age, especially between five and six among the females. (SRT)

Describes a project of a Speech Communication Association Task Force that culminated in developing a list of major speaking and listening skills for elementary school students. Covers background, specific skills, their assessment, and ways to teach these skills. (PD)

Two instances of teacher response, shaping, and evaluation of students' texts are analyzed. Although one text is oral, the other written, striking parallels in teacher-assigned task, text structure, and teacher-student interaction are noted. Explanations focus on schools as institutions and on the complex interpretive processes operating in urban,…

Focuses on the role of the state speech association in improving the teaching of oral communication skills in the K-12 curriculum. Describes the cooperative projects developed by the Illinois Speech and Theatre Association, with the Illinois State Board of Education, as an example of how state associations can become involved. (PD)

Compares a group of adoptive couples (n=190 fathers and n=190 mothers) who increased their level of adoption openness from mediated to fully disclosed with a group who remained in mediated arrangements. Case studies illustrative of these findings and implications for professionals working with adoptive families are provided. (SR)

Suggests that, for young children, learning begins in conversation. States that children's speech activities in the classroom are a vital aspect of education and should not be limited to acts of speech with pre-determined ends. Argues that young children need to express their emotions and extend their sensibility, humanity, and identity in the…

The ability to communicate content effectively to others is important. Besides using various approaches and techniques to help pupils achieve optimum speaking fluency, language arts teachers must also determine students' present oral communication achievement levels and guide their progress accordingly. Approaches to teaching oral fluency include…

Intended to help teachers, administrators, and others improve oral and written communication programs in their schools and districts, this report provides a starting point for program review. Various sections of the report contain (1) copies of the Washington State Board of Education Goals for the Common Schools, and oral and written…

This article stresses the idea that teaching communicative competence and the ability to deal with a variety of language situations should be the goal of foreign language teaching, with grammar instruction in a secondary position. Teaching by means of "dialogues with options" is discussed and sample dialogues for Italian instruction are given.…

Intended to foster playreading skills in high school students, this lesson plan can be used to teach the essential ingredients of a play in a single class period and can be used verbatim or adapted as desired. The plan includes a phase for motivating student interest in reading plays, a discussion of the skills needed for reading a script, and a…

Improving the quality of undergraduate speech communication education depends to a large extent on effectively measuring student achievement in college level communication skills. While formal tests are not as well developed for speaking skills as for other areas of the curriculum, they are available. The two used most frequently are the…

By investigating the similarities and differences between speech and writing, teachers can help students mature as writers. The difference between speech and writing in conveying meaning is explained by the degree of context dependence of the utterance or passage. Speech is highly context-dependent because a speaker depends on a listener to assist…

This paper begins with a literature review of the objectives of general education, giving special consideration to the possible role of communications skills. Because of current discussion and disagreement about what the basic general education requirements of a university should include, a survey was administered in 1981-82 to full-time faculty…