Summary and Evaluation of the Weather Communication Training Program: National Weather Service Pacific Region

Abstract

The evolution of three different training programs conducted for the National Weather Service Pacific Region, with emphasis on the 1972 program, its summary and recommendations, is the focus for this article. The possible methods of operation for such training programs are discussed?instructor-controlled, learner-controlled, tutoring sessions, and training tasks incorporating all three?with the latter being recommended as the most effective mode. The personnel, participants, resources, and training materials were defined. Over-all ?communicativeness? with basic intelligibility, reproduction of American English intonation patterns, production of standard general American dialect, professional rate of speaking, and production of Hawaiian place names was the agreed objective for testing and training of the WSS personnel involved. Over-all communicativeness was significantly better at the end of the training as evaluated by pre- and post-tapes made of the training participants. Improvement in pronunciation ranged from 80 to 90%. Rate change was significantly better because of internal changes in phrasing, intonation patterning, and stress. Recommendations for further training included news-writing classes for those who wrote the forecasts to a once-a-month training visit and consultation for those who were in the program for improvement as weather broadcasters.