The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of task type on the performance of EFL speaking tests for Taiwanese college students. The major research questions explored in the study include: (1) Will test takers perform differently on various task types of EFL speaking tests? (2) Are there any differences in the accuracy,…

The Speech Fluency Profile of fluent adolescent speakers of Brazilian Portuguese, were examined with respect to gender and neurolinguistic variations. Speech samples of 130 male and female adolescents, aged between 12;0 and 17;11 years were gathered. They were analysed according to type of speech disruption; speech rate; and frequency of speech…

Purpose: This study provides preliminary reference data for speech and articulatory rates of school-age children in conversational and narrative speaking contexts. Method: Participants included 36 typically developing children in 3 groups of 12 participants at ages 7, 9, and 11 years. Conversational and narrative speech rates were measured in…

This study reflects a social constructivist theoretical framework in which the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is a central element, as two teaching approaches, communicative language teaching (CLT) and explicit focus on form (FonF) are examined. Research questions include: Are CLT and explicit FonF conducive to reaching the ZPD? Is there a…

No empirical studies exist comparing the effectiveness of the two prevalent foreign language methodologies, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS), at helping students achieve second language acquisition. In turn, the purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to…

This study examined the features of the classroom discourse in eight Algebra I classes from two urban high schools with diverse student populations. In particular, by using the discursive analysis perspective, the type of communication between teachers and students was examined. The study investigated to what extent teachers' patterns of discourse…

In order to extend the multicultural horizons of neuropsychological assessment in the Chinese mainland, a battery of eight commonly used neurocognitive tests assessing motor speed, verbal and visual-spatial memory, language fluency, attention, and executive functioning were given to 224 Mandarin-speaking school children (107 boys and 117 girls)…

A discussion of second language (L2) pronunciation looks at the ways in which native-like pronunciation can be defined. It addresses, through review of relevant literature and more detailed examination of a study by the author, these issues: how to identify native-like pronunciation; how to measure pronunciation in comparison with native speakers'…

Key elements that affect pronunciation are outlined in this supplement to an adult literacy newsletter. Emphasis is on what students need to know about sounds, stress, intonation, and fluency in order to improve their spoken English. Suggestions are offered for identifying students' needs. Exercises are also provided for practicing sounds, word…

Fluency can be defined in terms of intelligibility and effectiveness. For learners of English as a foreign language, fluency includes some degree of accuracy in phonological, syntactic, and semantic terms. It is a quality of speech that is produced in novel situations where what is said and how it is said cannot be predicted. To clarify the…

This essay is an overview of the state of language arts and sciences, or theory and applied skills, and it surveys literacy levels, ability in both native and second languages, language education and linguistic theory. (CK)

Condensed from "The Massachusetts Teacher, Volume 48 (January 1969), 10-11, 24.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE REPORT WAS TO INVESTIGATE AND EVALUATE CHILDREN, K-6, IN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT--ITS USE, CONTROL, AND EFFECTIVENESS IN ORAL, WRITTEN, AND READING COMMUNICATION. THE STUDY WAS ALSO CONCERNED WITH DEVELOPING FUNDAMENTAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS TO AID THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE FOR THE FUTURE. THE SAMPLES OF LANGUAGE…

There is evidence that attitudes toward speakers of nonstandard English are determined more by the speaker's race than by linguistic considerations. Many people who do not speak standard English have done well in American society because stigma was not attached to their particular language variety. More emphasis should be placed on appreciating…

AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN BASE RATES IN LANGUAGE USAGE OF CHILDREN AND TO INVESTIGATE THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE. SPECIFICALLY THE STUDY WAS AIMED AT DISCOVERING WHETHER THE FINDINGS OF G.K. ZIPF (1965) HELD FOR SPOKEN LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN AND WHETHER AGE DIFFERENCES INFLUENCED THE RELATIONSHIP OF VARIETY AND FREQUENCY OF WORD…