A study was planned to generate a model for testing second language education that would incorporate task types to allow the display of fluency. It is argued that the display of oral fluency can be used as a selection criterion for inclusion of test items in multitask or portfolio assessment. The following three research questions were formulated:…

An oral language continuum designed to help elementary students develop techniques for a variety of speech situations, learn to listen, and learn to be aware of the responsibility of the speaker is presented. The continuum is divided into four sections. Student needs, implications for teaching, and suggested activities are arranged sequentially.…

A variety of sources, including writing samples and videotapes of writing sessions, were examined to determine what speech events underlie the written compositions of students from fourth through twelfth grades. Findings revealed a correlation between different levels of writing competency and four types of speech events: encoding, conversation,…

Employers were surveyed to obtain their opinions as to the quality of the Cornell University undergraduate program in applied economics and business management. In addition, employers were asked to recommend modifications in the program to enable students to meet the challenges of the future. Survey instruments were mailed to recruiters in 173…

This book is designed to provide readers with an in-depth understanding of the 16 skills that employers believe are workplace basics. Part One centers on the economic importance of the 16 skills and provides a theoretical basis for why these skills are important. Part Two discusses the foundation skill, learning to learn, on which all other skills…

A study investigated the notion that bilingual students' low academic achievement may be due to semilingualism (having limited language skills) in each of the two languages, and the cognitive deficits that presumably result. The subjects were two boys and two girls from the fifth and sixth grades with low proficiency in either English or Spanish.…

Developed to increase student ability to communicate effectively in a growing range of situations, this kindergarten through grade eight writing and speaking program is based on clusters of instructional and performance objectives for each grade level. The guide begins with a discussion of the goals of education, a point of view about language…

A study examined the validity of home background at age 13, educational achievement, and work experience as predictors of adult capabilities. The population examined were members of the grade 6 Swedish school population who were born in 1948 on the 5th, 15th, and 25th in each month of that year (n=12,000, or 10 percent of the total). Data about…

This curriculum kit contains 115 separate activity cards with descriptions of different art activities that can be integrated into the elementary school curriculum. Teachers may use these cards to select an art project and use it to involve students in other curriculum areas, or teachers may select a skill, topic, or subject area which needs…

In response both to interests within the foreign language teaching profession and to a new Texas law mandating oral proficiency standards for foreign language teachers, Tarrant County Junior College developed a number of curriculum changes in French, German, Spanish, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. The primary first-year emphasis and…

A study examined the development of discourse cohesion in first language acquisition within a functional and cross-linguistic perspective. The analyses focused on how children introduce new referents in discourse across four languages: English, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese. The data base consists of narratives produced by children between…

This curriculum manual combines the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) with multicultural and prevocational education. The materials provide students with information about immigration, how immigrants fit into the economic system and society, and how different cultures and races have evolved. Goals are to give students the opportunity…

The importance of the development of oral communication abilities has been documented in a number of sources. Studies of graduates, employers, and corporate executives have revealed, for example, that skills in problem solving, communication, and interpersonal relations are most valued in high tech corporations. Several recent indictments of…

Because audio-visual information is pervasive in contemporary cultural communications, this study looked at the importance of audio-visual information and how it can be used for educational purposes. Specifically, the study compared the effectiveness of audio-pictorial slide-tape presentations and printed verbal language selections as stimuli for…

Research reports on the nature of speech, instrumentation for the investigation of speech, and practical applications of speech research are presented in this status report. The 18 reports deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) cyclic production of vowels in sequences of monosyllabic stress feet; (2) differences between…