The differential effects of the final revision of Levels 1 and 2 of the Peabody Language Development Kits (PLDK) on the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) profiles of young disadvantaged black children were studied. Contrasted with 90 control subjects were 90 experimental subjects who received a daily 30-minute oral language…

This report is a detailed empirical examination of Suppes' ideas about the syntax and semantics of natural language, and an attempt at supporting the proposal that model-theoretic semantics of the type first proposed by Tarski is a useful tool for understanding the semantics of natural language. Child speech was selected as the best place to find…

The study described here was intended to test Basil Bernstein's contention that different types of speech patterns can be identified for lower and middle class children, and that lower class children may, because of their speech behavior, have difficulty in performing cognitive tasks necessary for success in the school situation. Spontaneous…

The purpose of this paper is to present a practical model for determining and depicting language dominance, given the general nature and needs of bilingual education programs in the United States. The author proposes the use of parallel tests of aural ability to indicate initially the language dominance of children who, for example, are otherwise…

This study examined the following issues: (a) If vocabulary effects are minimized, will there be SES differences in the use of conditional forms by Caucasian children who have reached the fifth grade? (b) Even if SES differences occur in the use of recognizable conditional forms, will children within the same SES be able to transmit conditional…

This test is intended for use with a two-volume, 32-lesson set of materials for rural disadvantaged kindergarten children. The lessons are designed to help alleviate language deficiencies of the children by providing them with school-related activities, communication and cultural experiences, and other readiness instruction through language…

This study was designed to identify specific language variables that could prove to be useful as predictors of a child's success in beginning reading. The study is theoretical in nature and provides background information that may be useful in future empirical investigations. A review of the literature on child language acquisition was conducted.…

An examination of the influence of early bilingualism (German and Italian) on personality, social behavior, perception, and linguistic competence of four- to six-year-old Italian preschoolers (N=65) found no significant differences in social behavior, but some differences in terms of self-confidence, self-control, memory, and oral skills. (CB)

The English-as-a-second-language teacher's role is explored, with five specific areas of responsibility elaborated: (1) providing comprehensible input; (2) preparing learners to cope with nonclassroom language; (3) providing references and resource materials; (4) providing focused instruction in particular areas of language; and (5) providing…

Notes that research supports the idea that children are confused about concepts related to beginning reading instruction. Reports on assessment instruments that are commercially available or can be devised by teachers. (FL)

A survey investigated how language management strategies used by bilingual families could create family communication problems. The study was inspired by experience with bilingual families in which rigid adherence to a language policy appeared to impede communication. Respondents were 83 members of a special interest group on bilingualism within a…

This study, replicating an earlier experimental study, examined language attitudes in New Mexican Hispanic bilinguals aged 10-20, drawing on a socio-educational model of attitude formation and focusing on the relationship between language attitudes and five other variables: age; gender; youth culture; language ability; and language and cultural…

Affirms the advantages to the child of early immersion second language learning programs. The second language proficiency of English-speaking Canadian students who received all instruction in French and English-speaking American children who received all instruction in Spanish surpassed that of students in more traditional language programs. (PMJ)

This paper presents the case of a child who at age 3;3 showed a marked schism between two branches of language functioning; he had control of language as a system for expressing syntactic-semantic relations but not as a system of interpersonal communication. (CFM)

Reports on an experiment in which adults were asked to identify the gender of prepubertal children by listening to a tape recording of their voices. Findings link social class and sex stereotypes. (AM)