Research in Oral Language. INSTITUTION National Conference on Research in English
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DOCUMENT RESUME BD089 364 CS 201 194 AUTHOR Petty, Walter T., Ed. TITLE Research in Oral Language. INSTITUTION National Conference on Research in English. PUB DATE 67 NOTE 73p.; Articles reprinted from the April, May, October, November, December 1966 and the February and March 1967 issues of "Elementary English"; This document previously announced as ED 026 370 AVAILABLE FROM National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 Kenyon Rd., Urbana, Illinois 61801 (Stock No. 14004, $1.65 non-member, $1.50 member) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.75 HC-$3.15 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS Educational Research; *Elementary Education; *English instruction; Environmental. influences; Individual Development; Language Skills; *Listening; Listening Comprehension; Listening Skills; Oral Communication; *Oral Exprecsion; Social Development; *Speaking; Speaking Activities; Speech; Speech Skills; Verbal Communication; Verbal Development ABSTRACT This collection of six articles on oral language isa product of the cooperative efforts of the National Conferenceon Research in English, the Association for Supervision"Ond Curriculum Development, the International Reading Association, the Association for Childhood Education international, and the National Council of Teachers of English. It is intended to acquaint educators with research into various aspects of listening and speaking and to emphasize the need for oral language instruction in elementary schools. The articles are "Oral Language and Perional and Social Development" by Walter T. Petty and Roberta J. Starkey, °Oral Language and the Development of Other Language Skills" by Robert B. Ruddell, "The Effects of Ewsironment on Oral Language Development" by Prank B. May, "Listening: A Facet of Oral Language° by Gloria L. Horrworth, °The Evaluation of Oral Language Activities: Teachingand Learning" by 0. W. Kopp, and "Three Statements Regarding Needed Research in Oral Language: by Ruth G. Strickland, Howard E. Blake, Anthony J. Amato, and Walter T. Petty. (JS) UI.DIPARTMENTOF HEALTH, EDUCATION EVALFAIll NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS (KEN REPRO DUCE° EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORCAivEATION ORIGIN *TING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY Research in Oral Language A Research Bulletin Prepared by a Committee of the National Conference on Research in English Walter T. Petty, Editorial Chairman State University of New York at Buffalo ti Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, International Reading Association, Association for Childhood Education International, National Council of Teachers of English Published for the NCRE by the National Council of Teachers of English, 508 South Sixth Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820 THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN ENGLISH is an organization of one hundred active members qualified to conduct scientific research in English The purpose of the organization is to stimulate and elicourage research in the teaching of English and to publish results of significant investigations and of scientific experimentation 1967 President HELEN HUUS University of Pennsylvania The articles in this bulletin were originally published in the April, May, October, November, December 1988 and the February and March 1987 issues of Elementary English 'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISCOPY RIGHTED MATERIAL. HAS BEENGRANTED BY Copyright 1966 aril 1967 National Council of by National Connell of Teachers of English William A. Jenkins, Editor Teachersof English TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONSOPERATING UNOER AGREEMENTS WITH THENATIONAL IN SMUT( OF EDUCATIONFURTHER REPRO. OUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERICSYSTEM RE.* WIRES PERMISSION Of THE COPYRIGHT OWNER" Preface In 1964 four associationsthe Associationassumed major responsibility in the plan- for Childhood Education International, thening and the writing. Active support from Association for Supervision and Curriculumthe four other organizations was received, Development, the International Readinghowever, in choosing the writers and ap- Association, and the National Council ofproving the content, Thus, Research in Oral Teachers of Englishcooperatively pub-Language is the product of the cooper- lished Children and Ora/ Language, an ative efforts of five organizations. unprecedented undertaking. This bulletin, developed by acommittee under the The editor of Research in Oral Language is appreciative of the spirit of cooperation chairmanship of Helen K.Mackintosh, succinctly stated a point of view concerningand acknowledges the assistance of Alberta the importance of oral communication andL. Meyer, Executive Secretary of the As- its role in the elementary school curriculum,sociation for Childhood Education Inter- identified basic characteristics of listeningnational; Margaret Gill, Executive Secretary and speaking, and presented suggestionsof the Association for Supervision and for instruction and evaluation. This bulletinCurriculum Development; Ralph C. Steiger, effectively highlighted the importance ofExecutive Secretary for the International oral language in the school program andReading Association; and James R. Squire, the instructionthat needs to be givenExecutiveSecretaryfortheNational listening and speaking skills. Council of Teachers of English. The present bulletin is a supplement to Appreciationisalso expressed to the writers of the chapters in this bulletin, to Children and Oral Language andisa natural outgrowth of the first cooperativeWilliam A. Jenkins, Editor of Elementary publication, Its development was initiatedEnglish, and to colleagues in the National by a fifth organizationthe National Con-Conference on Research in English. ference on Researchin Englishwhich Walter T. Petty ORGANIZATIONS SPONSORING THIS PUBLICATION National Conference on Research in English Helen Huus, President, 1967 Graduate Sc I,00l of Education University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Association for Childhood Education International Alberta L. Meyer, Executive Secretary 3615 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20016 Associations for Supervision and Curriculum Development (NEA) Les lee J. Bishop, Executive Secretary 1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20036 International Reading Association Ralph C. Staiger, Executive Secretary.Treasurer Box 119 Newark, Delaware ,19711 National Council of Teachers of English James R. Squire, Executive Secretary 508 South Sixth Street Champaign, Illinois 61820 Contents Preface iii Introduction vii Walter T. Petty Oral Language and Personal and Social Development 1 Walter T. Petty and Roberta I. Starkey Oral Language and the Development of Other Language Skills 10 Robert B. Ruddell The Effects of Environment on Oral Language Development: I, II 21 Frank B. May Listening: A Facet of Oral Language 40 Gloria L. Horrtvorth The Evaluation of Oral Language Activities: Teaching and Learning 50 O. W. Kopp Three Statements Regarding Needed Research in Oral Language 00 Ruth G. Strickland Howard E. Blake and Anthony 1. Amato Walter T. Petty Introduction Traditionally school programs have em-for teaching those which have been identi- phasized written language, and it is only infied are not well known. comparatively recent years that oral lan- guage has been recognized as deserving of Concern for the effectiveness with which people speakis instructional attention. Even now the allot- increasingly being ex- ments of teaching effort and program timepressed. The authors of the bulletin Chil- to developing pupils' listening and speakingdren and Oral Language stress that the skills are less than those devoted to writingcruciality of oral communication should skills. This condition exists in spite of theforce every teacher to carefully appraise his evidence that as much as 95 percent of allpractices in teaching children to express communication is oral. their ideas orally with clarity, sensitivity, and conviction. They go further andstate While many schools are generally mak-that the "oral communication skillsmust be ing special efforts to provide opportunitiestaught well at all levels of instructionso for a wide range of oral language activities,that pupils may develop increased profi- too little actual instruction in listening andciency as a continuing process" and that speaking skills is being given. This is partlybalanced programs "with clearly defined accounted for by the mistaken assumptiongoalsandexplicitlystatedmeansfor that no instruction in the skills is necessaryachieving these goals must be developed." since children ordinarily enter school with It is the purpose of this bulletin to help some ability to use language orally. There is also some prevalence to the belief thatteachers and others concerned with elemen- oral language is general in nature rathertary school programs more clearly see the importance of oral language, become better than consisting of the many specific skills, informedabouttheresearchevidence which is the actual case. Of equal impor-which has been gained regarding it, and tance as a reason for the lack of instructionmake use of this knowledge in the develop- isthe fact that the oral language skillsment of programs and teaching practices. necessary for effective communication have been difficult to identify and the procedures Walter T, Petty WALTER T. PETTY AND ROBERTA J. STARKEY Oral Language and Personal and Social Development The child's learning to speak and listen the importance of oral language in the per- is often taken for granted. Though we rec- sonal and social development