IMPROVING THE LANGUAGE SKILLS OF 'DEPRIVED' TEACHERS.

STUDIES OF THE CLASSROOM VERBAL BEHAVIOR OF TEACHERS SHOW THAT MANY TEACHERS USE THE SAME RATHER NARROW VERBAL INTERACTION PATTERNS BECAUSE (1) THEIR OWN SCHOOL BACKGROUNDS DID NOT INCLUDE EXPOSURE TO TEACHERS WHO USED VARIED VERBAL PATTERNS, (2) THEY DO NOT NOW HEAR VARIED TEACHING PATTERNS, AND (3) THEY ARE NOT PROVIDED WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE GREATER LANGUAGE FACILITY. TO INCREASE TEACHERS' FACILITY IN VERBAL INTERACTION, THE VERBAL INTERACTION CATEGORY SYSTEM (BASED ON THE WORK OF FLANDERS) WAS DEVELOPED BY THE AUTHORS TO CATEGORIZE TEACHER TALK. ITS SIX CATEGORIES INCLUDE--(1) GIVES INFORMATION OR OPINION, (2) GIVES DIRECTION, (3) ASKS NARROW QUESTION, (4) ASKS BROAD QUESTIONS, (5) ACCEPTS IDEAS, BEHAVIOR, OR FEELING, AND (6) REJECTS IDEAS, BEHAVIOR, OR FEELING. ACCEPTANCE OF PUPILS' FEELINGS IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR MANY TEACHERS TO EXPRESS AND SEEMS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS SINCE IT ENCOURAGES CHILDREN TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS AND ENABLES THE TEACHER TO DEAL WITH AND UTILIZE THEM. DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACCEPTANCE ARE OUTLINED. TAPING OF CLASS DISCUSSIONS AND WRITING OUT BROAD QUESTIONS AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING STATEMENTS IN ADVANCE ARE OTHER SUGGESTED TOOLS FOR IMPROVING LANGUAGE FACILITY. (AF)