Compares 28 undergraduates identified as talking too much to 224 "normals" on a series of variables associated with compulsive talking. Finds that talkers differed from "normals" in their self-reports of verbal activity; and they reported being more argumentative and less apprehensive, and had more positive attitudes about communication. Finds no…

Discusses the challenges posed by a more diverse student population and a less diverse teacher population. Presents suggestions for identifying and eliminating cultural communication barriers. (JOW)

Suggests that silence--avoidance or termination of talk in problematic and face-threatening situations-is used by hard-of-hearing people as a face-saving strategy in communication with hearing people. One hundred hearing-impaired people were asked to list situations in which they refrain from conversation due to embarrassment. (Author/JL)

Discrepancies between farmers' and farm management advisors' perceptions of the advisory relationship were used to build a system of co-monitoring support. The system attempts to maintain a common frame of reference and includes periodic reexamination of the advisor's role in the problem-solving process. (SK)

Interviews (n=22) and observations (n=14) in clinical settings were coded and analyzed to identify student nurses' problems in communicating with patients and the process of learning solutions. The process involved affirming the self, engaging the patient, experiencing communication breakdown, and refining the repertoire of communication…

This descriptive study extends previous studies on communication repairs by (a) involving elementary-age children with autism who are prelinguistic to emergent one-word communicators and (b) examining repair strategies in terms of the relationships between the conventionality and functionality of communication forms and the type of breakdown.…

In this article, the author describes ways in which teachers can help children who exhibit problems in communicating due to language difficulties. In this particular case, the child described is very good at expressing herself, but does not seem to understand what others say to her, which limits her ability to follow directions and to interact…

A common aphorism in the halls of education is that the writing skills of Americans decline over time. Compared to the "golden age of letters," so the argument goes, each subsequent generation of writers is worse than the last. Although contemporary readers and educators commiserate over encounters with bad writing, a fair comparison of 18th…

This pilot research project examined the use of sign language as a communication bridge for non-Deaf children between the ages of 0-6 years who had been diagnosed with, or whose communication difficulties suggested, the presence of such disorders as Autism, Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and/or learning disabilities.…

This article questioned the linguistic assumptions that underlie most language teaching and suggested that a clearer recognition of the communicative function of language might result in a more realistic and effective learning experience. (Author/RK)

Ways are suggested for improving relations between the school library, teachers, and administrators and for increasing the library's contribution to instruction. (PF)

Some successful programs of the Free Library of Philadelphia public relations staff are described. (PF)

The director of the Growth and Development Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development lists issues and research needs in the areas of language acquisition and language development in children, prevention of communicative disorders, and adolescent speech and language. (LH)

Because the grapevine can precipitate managerial nightmares (employee resentment, distorted messages, instant diffusion of incendiary rumors), managers are well-advised to study this informal communications network and diffuse its organizational impact. This paper discusses the development, accuracy, resilience, and management of the grapevine.…

As part of an ongoing study of The Mediation Project at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst a mediation process was observed and recorded, followed by a group interview including both disputants and mediators. The two disputants had lived together for two years and had made several purchases together. They participated in the mediation…