"Taiguu hyoogen," which refers to expressions chosen to express levels of politeness and formality in Japanese, is described as a requirement for socialization and a key component in language teaching. Pedagogical implications are discussed. (Contains 17 references.) (LB)

This study examined differences between the preverbal communicative behaviors of 20 premature and 20 full-term infants at 4 and 7 months of age. Significant differences between groups were found in such communicative skills as gestures, eye contact, tactile-kinesthetic behaviors, and vocalizations. Mothers also differed in their communication…

Presents study results regarding the social cognitive abilities of deaf adolescents. Explains that role taking ability and nonverbal sensitivity was evaluated in a series of tests. Reports low performance in social cognitive abilities. Suggests that language plays a role in social adjustment. Concludes that nonverbal sensitivity is an important…

Investigated the effects of nonverbal communication during oral examinations by testing two groups of British secondary students, one group in a face-to-face situation. Finds nonverbal effects increased the mean scores by two points but could not conclude that the increase was a result of student appearance and gestures. (CH)

It is essential that a person in an influential position make communication skills a priority. Lists some specific ways to become a more effective communicator through nonverbal behavior and speaking, listening, and writing skills. (MLF)

Because the relationship of gesticulation to sign language has not received much research attention, this study considers gesture and sign among users of signed and oral languages. Results suggest that gestures produced by deaf individuals can be distinguished from the sign language in which they are embedded, including their semantic and…

Individuals from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds can have subtly variant communication styles that members of the dominant culture fail to recognize and often misunderstand. In an increasingly diverse world, librarians must become aware of these differences for more effective communication. (13 references) (EA)

Discussion of making judgments about other people and forming first impressions focuses on a study in Northern Ireland that was concerned with the accuracy of first impressions based on nonverbal information. The use of video recordings is described, and correlations between actual and observed characteristics are examined. (22 references) (LRW)

Analysis of videotapes of 24 individuals with autism and 24 nonautistic persons with mental retardation found that subjects with autism were less likely to offer spontaneous verbal and nonverbal gestures of greeting and farewell and were less likely to establish eye contact when they were greeted. Results suggest a relative lack of intersubjective…

Claims that English teachers have a great weapon with which to counter pre-verbal conditioning of children once they reach the age of being reasonable. Hopes to recruit teachers and their advocacy to aid minorities by fighting racism and other social injustices. (NH)

Examined the use of protoimperative and protodeclarative pointing gestures in three children with autism (ages 26 to 53 months) at 5-month intervals over two years. Imperative or instrumental functions emerged early in all three; declarative or experience sharing functions emerged later in two subjects and not at all in the third. (DB)

This naturalistic study examined the role of nonverbal communication in the academic library. The decision to approach or not approach a reference librarian was studied through the use of Mehrabian's immediacy metaphor, and it was hypothesized that the nonverbal behavior of the librarian is related to the user's decision. Contains 53 references.…

Reports on a study that investigated the listening comprehension of 60 primary school students who were in their second year of learning English as a foreign language. Students listened to two tales that had been simplified under two different conditions: (1) with linguistic adjustments, and (2) with linguistic and interactional adjustments…

Twelve male children (ages 2-6) with autism were found to be less accurate than 12 typical male children in decoding nonverbal facial expressions of happiness, sadness, or anger in videotaped vignettes. However, children with autism were able to identify happiness vignettes at above-chance levels. (Author/JDD)

Maintains that language as humans now produce and comprehend evolved from languagelike precursors in the communication systems of nonhuman primates. The article reviews "Gesture and the Nature of Language" (GNL) (1995) and notes that GNL derives syntax incrementally without diluting it to an element not recognizable as a property of language. (37…