Human raters are normally involved in L2 performance assessment; as a result, rater behavior has been widely investigated to reduce rater effects on test scores and to provide validity arguments. Yet raters' cognition and use of rubrics in their actual rating have rarely been explored qualitatively in L2 speaking assessments. In this study three…

Bullying is one type of violence that threatens a youth's well-being in schools and neighborhoods. The impacts of bullying are felt by individuals, families, schools, and society and may result in youths feeling powerless, intimidated, and humiliated by the aggressive acts of other youth(s). This document is designed as a tool to help…

Explains the use of satellite connections for Internet access and whether this access route is useful for colleges and universities compared to current traditional connections. Comparison of startup costs and hardware needs are discussed, as as is one college's answer to providing Internet services without the cost, overhead, or installation…

Recommends that English teachers encourage students to explore interaction of popular culture and oral communication. Discusses similarities between personal letters and contemporary recordings. Identifies over 60 letter-related song titles that have used postal imagery to depict a variety of human circumstances and lists over 20 references.…

Compares the language generated by different kinds of oral communication activities. Areas of comparison include: speed of speaking, frequency of turns taken, and frequency of self-correction. Results indicate that the relative degree to which a student draws on his communicative and linguistic resources seems to be related to the communication…

This guide is designed for students and other individuals intending to live or study abroad and learn about another culture or cultures. These individuals are encouraged to acknowledge and come to terms with responses, particularly negative ones, to aspects of the culture they are visiting. An introductory chapter discusses the general process of…

Highlights points to consider when choosing an Internet Service Provider. Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and Point to Point Protocol (PPP) are compared regarding price, performance, bandwidth, speed, and technical support. Obtaining access via local, national, consumer online, and telephone-company providers is discussed. A pricing chart and…

Colleges and universities should critically review their publications periodically to save money and also as a way to present a more cohesive institutional identity. Ten recommendations are made for conducting a productive publications audit; they include choosing an evaluation method, selecting participants, making the experience pleasant, and…

Discusses students (in two different settings, and both native and nonnative speakers) who were quiet in their English classrooms. Finds that dimensions of schooling which created barriers were opportunity to talk, self concepts, and texts and other course materials. Includes responses which consider how students can be helped to talk. (PA)

Five college and university fund-raising professionals discuss ways in which uncoordinated solicitations of gifts from the same prospective donor(s) by different schools or departments can be avoided by planning, coordination, and communication. Advantages and disadvantages of centralized and decentralized administrative approaches are considered.…

Four basic models of the organization of college and university communications offices are described: advancement, news bureau model, agency, and marketing models. Pros and cons of each are discussed, and the structure of this function at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is presented as an ideal…

Discusses positive and negative aspects of teaching language use--the Communicative Approach. While the Communicative Approach is learner-centered and develops the students' communicative competence, the design and current tactics of this methodology are criticized as being "decontextualized" and "abstracted." (SL)

Both centralized and decentralized college or university development programs have advantages, depending on the nature and needs of the institution. Changing program structure may have consequences that reach far beyond fund-raising details. A survey of 10 institutions revealed some common characteristics and many hybrid forms of organization.…

This study demonstrated the use of self-recorded audiotape to collect data on students' perceptions, attitudes, and use of learning activities in written teaching texts. The process of asking students to respond to questions within the teaching text was straightforward and presented few problems in subsequent analysis. On several indicators…

By comparing Alfred Korzybski's and Richard Paul's approach to critical thinking, this paper presents a procedural example of how an individual can learn and develop expertise in human communicating. The paper offers various exercises beginning with select Korzybski general semantics communication theories and moving into critical thinking…