A study examined a form of other-initiated repair which occurs later than next turn, a form which is produced by nonnative speakers of English whose native language is Mandarin. Data consists of transcriptions of naturally occurring conversations from 12 native speaker-nonnative speaker (NS-NNS) dyads, friends who ordinarily chat. Conversational…

A study was conducted in 32 families in Chicago, with children ranging from 18 months to 5 years, to examine the role of parents in their young children's language acquisition. Specifically investigated were parents' attitudes on language acquisition, opportunities used to prompt their youngsters to say a new word/utterance, and the utterances…

This brochure is intended to be a useful tool for assessing students' development along a continuum of oral language growth as well as for providing information about the competencies that students are expected to learn in preschool and first grade. On the continuum in the brochure, descriptors list specific behaviors that detail students'…

Because oral language is so basic, it is the first step to verbal thinking, communicating socially, and understanding literature. It is through speech that children learn how to organize their thinking and focus their ideas. Nurturing children's language is fundamental to molding them into natural and competent readers and writers. This topical…

This digest reviews children's writing development from socio-cultural, generative, and developmental perspectives. The digest's first section deals with oral language, art, and children's early writing, noting that children use their drawing and talk to support their early exploration and use of print. The second section examines how, in addition…

A case study of a prelingually hearing impaired boy with bilateral severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss is presented. Separate analyses of spoken and signed language were made indicating that signs had become vehicles for attaching meaning to sounds. (Author/CL)

Reviews research dealing with language acquisition to show that there are developmental trends in the acquisition of syntax. (FL)

Examines children's progression in the use of humor in language from taking folktales seriously, to using humor for shock, to using humor to alter social environments. (HTH)

Describes a technique that can be used to help students become better listeners. (FL)

Argues that the standards for formulating comprehension questions do not take into account the differences between written and spoken language. Introduces mutuality-enhancing devices as a way to improve oral comprehension questioning. (FL)

Concludes that the dramatic play context requires children to convey meaning through explicit oral language in order to introduce and sustain play episodes. (FL)

Reports on a study that analyzed the oral language skills of four-year-old children in day care centers as they described a picture and told a story from pictures in a wordless picture book. (HOD)

Presents five principles for restructuring classroom activities to obtain a maximum amount of oral language. Claims that by expanding children's oral language, their semantic and syntactic cuing systems to print will also be strengthened. (FL)

Contends that language names "Hindi" and "Urdu" denote two styles of same language in spoken mode, resulting in duplication of personnel and resources in Britain in language maintenance programs. Survey data show little consensus regarding what constitutes each language when spoken and that nationality and religion are…

Kindergartners and second graders evaluated the communicative clarity of brief oral instructions under three conditions: unambiguous, no closure, and closure. Results suggest that the growth of children's knowledge about communication includes the developing awareness that an ambiguous message is intrinsically unclear and remains a poor message…