Soviet neuropsychologist Sokolov's notions of tonic and phasic orienting responses and of defense responses are examined for relevance to individual information processing. The phasic orienting response provides an index to attention and to information demands generated by the cerebral cortex. The sum of orienting responses elicted by a message…

The comprehension approach to second language education emphasizes acquisition of listening comprehension prior to and as a vehicle for acquisition of other language skills. The following articles on this approach are collected here: (1) "Nonlinear Learning and Language Teaching" (Winitz); (2) "Aital cal aprene las lengas…

In a previous study, subjects that heard a monaurally presented two-clause sentence immediately followed by a probe word (identical word recognition) were faster at recognizing the probe as a sentence word with their left ears than with their right ears. This result suggested that the right ear was particularly efficient at transforming…

The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the nature of the reading process through an understanding of the general nature of sensory processing mechanisms which reorganize and restructure input signals for central recognition, and an understanding of how the grammar of the language functions in defining the set of possible sentences in…

Language acquisition and development by the child is explored and related to other areas of maturation and the environment. The nine chapters of the book are: I. Historical Perspective (discusses the student's attitude toward language, the effects of his attitude, factors that might hamper the study of language, and, briefly, various theories of…

Reviews cases which support the view that parts of the left hemisphere control languages, no matter how it is expressed, while right-side regions are involved only in skilled nonlinguistic movements and perceptions. Compares recent findings with previously held theories. (ML)

Considers the historiography of language teaching theories from the perspective of bimodality and suggests some directions research should take to empirically substantiate the usefulness of this concept for second-language acquisition in a classroom environment. (Author/CB)

Reviews research about the brain's hemispheric functions, emphasizing the practical implications and applications of bimodal language learning. Four pedagogical principles (contextualization, visualization, diversification, and personalization) that characterize any integrated approach to language teaching are also discussed. (CB)

Studies the language and visuo-spatial skills of preschool children with past histories of lead poisoning. Suggests that specific behavioral sequelae exhibited by such children may be predicted by the factor of their age at the time of lead ingestion. (AS)

A review of current research in bilingualism reveals much attention being given to the role of the brain's right hemisphere in linguistic production. It is proposed that application of findings in second-language learning research and applied linguistics would give experimental support to the existing neurolinguistic theories. (MSE)

Two studies evaluated the interhemispheric transmission deficit explanation of reading disability by comparing second- and sixth-grade normal and poor readers on learning and discrimination tasks involving hemispheric presentations of visual stimuli. Results suggested verbal processing rather than interhemispheric transmission as a cause of group…

Discusses a theory suggesting that thoughts, feelings, dreams, and other workings of the mind are produced by chemical and electrical activity in the networks of nerve cells that make up the bulk of the brain. Opinions of a neuroscientist, anatomist, cognitive scientist, philosopher of science, and a biophysicist are provided. (BC)

Compares similarities in correcting defective pronunciation in the mother tongue and in a second language. (DD)

Special issue devoted to neurolinguistics and neuropsychology. (VM)