Discusses research in semantic processing and narrative discourse by psycholinguists, applied linguists, and speech pathologists. Focuses on children's comprehension of the language of instruction and contrasts normal and disordered comprehension and performance. Presents excerpts from two language evaluations that utilize some recent approaches…

Describes a study which attempts to place the problem of second language learning and use by bilingual children into a framework of double socialization through the analysis of mother-child and peer group interaction. Ukrainian and Greek second generation mothers and their children aged 5-6 years were observed in four sessions. (SED)

Presents conversations of a group of fifth graders collaborating on a social studies task to illustrate how childen use language to learn. Focuses on one student whose oral language was rapid and chaotic but who demonstrated extremely sophisticated and complex structuring of knowledge to understand a particular social studies concept. (HTH)

Disproves two assumptions about the development of written language by examining the spontaneous writing of a young child. Expounded primarily by James Britton and associates, the assumptions are (1) children's early writing is relatively undifferentiated in function, and (2) the primary starting point for young writers is writing stories. (HTH)

Examines preliminary results of study investigating acquisition of sound system of English as a second language by 15 five-year-olds. Data collected over 10 months were grouped according to eight phonological processes in three categories: assimilation, substitution, and syllable structure changes. (SL)

This book by a Montessori educator provides ideas and suggestions for parents, extended families, preschool teachers, and anyone who wants to gain a simple understanding of how and when to relate to a toddler in a supportive, not destructive, manner. The book addresses how to communicate with toddlers, how to avoid and resolve emotional conflict,…

This study compared narratives in Spanish, Basque, and English of a 5-year-old trilingual child. The child produced narratives of a familiar story, learned through an English video recording, in each language while looking at a printed version of the story. All interlocutors were adult native speakers of the languages, well known to the child. The…

A Compensation Model is proposed to help explain the difference between child and adult language acquisition in terms of different cognitive modules and theories. In this model, two assumptions are made: (1) existence of two different cognitive modules (language-specific and general-cognition) in the mind, and (2) the independent and interactive…

Both written and spoken language use need to be understood within a broader theory of language. Some of the core assumptions that would inform such a theory are as follows. First, language is inherently social. Every structural component of language has a history of social discourse that defines it. Second, language is for communication; meaning…

The purpose of this study is to show that children go through writing stages while learning to write. Understanding these stages can help children become more effective writers in expressing feelings, memories, and concerns to gain recognition with themselves and others. A literature review examined stages of writing and long-term results from…

Drawing on the successfully implemented practices used at the Language Acquisition Preschool at the University of Kansas, this comprehensive resource provides the theoretical background and practical framework needed to create an effective language intervention program at the preschool level. The book is intended for professionals seeking to…

Excepts from THE LANGUAGE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN (Penguin, 1973), which evolved from a project initiated by the English Committee of the Schools Council of England and conducted under the direction of Mrs. Connie Rosen; focuses on the talk of primary school children in the presence of a teacher. (Author/JM)

Preprint from a forthcoming pamphlet of the National Conference on Research in English. (Editor/SW)

Faulting the audiolingual method for concentrating primarily on manipulative skills in language learning, the author stresses that the development of true communicative competence involves the learner's conscious awareness of grammar rules and language context. (FWB)

The use of research results concerning interactive behaviors of hearing impaired infants by teachers, clinicians, and others who visit and observe hearing impaired children and their parents at home is discussed. Specific suggestions are presented for how these observations can be achieved and used in developing and maintaining social…