[NIFL-HEALTH:2194] Re: Reading and listening

From: Daphne Greenberg (epedgg@panther.gsu.edu)
Date: Mon Feb 21 2000 - 09:57:45 EST


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From: Daphne Greenberg <epedgg@panther.gsu.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:2194] Re: Reading and listening
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Yes, we do have to address the listening comprehension level of audio
materials!  First of all, we have to be mindful of our nonnative
speakers of English.  However, even for our native speakers, it is very
important.  The oral language skills of adult learners appear to be more
equivalent to their reading levels, than to their chronological ages.
This makes sense, since so much of our vocabulary comes from reading
text.
Daphne Greenberg
Center for the Study of Adult Literacy
Atlanta, GA 30303
Seamus Mcmillan wrote:

> Does anyone have any data/information on the correlation (if any)
> between the
> ability to read and understand the written word versus the ability to
> understand
> the spoken word?
>
> We talk about readability and making written text easier to
> "understand" but
> does this mean that those for whom we do this also have difficulty
> comprehending
> speech?  Furthermore if there is a correlation then to what extent
> does it also
> hold true for those whose native language is not English?  I can read
> printed
> German (or Italian or Spanish or whatever..) - can I understand it -
> absolutely
> not.
>
> The reason I ask is that an increasing amount of patient education
> materials is
> being delivered by computer.  Multimedia programs allow one  to
> utilize text,
> graphics, animations, and audio.  Hence I wonder whether there is a
> need to
> address the "comprehendability" (hey this is America - I can invent a
> word can't
> I) of the audio component in a manner analogous to the way we try to
> ensure that
> written materials are both readable and understandable.
>
>   Any thoughts?????
>
>     Best regards
>
>       Seamus McMillan
>
> Seamus McMillan, Ph.D.
> Office: (612) 937-5134       Fax:  (612) 975-9708
> E-Mail: sm@smcmillan.com (preferred)   or  smcm@aol.com
>    WWW: http://www.labmed.umn.edu/~seamus/
>
> Delphi Assoc. Inc.,      |16526 W. 78th St.|Second Source Alliance,
> smcm@DelphiGrp.com       |Suite 197,       |seamus@secondsource.org
> http://www.DelphiGrp.com |Eden Prairie,    |(612) 975-6078
>                          |MN 55346-4358.
> |http://www.secondsource.org



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