This paper presents an analysis of teachers' classroom language as measured by the Teacher Language Instrument (TLI). Subjects were teachers in four programs of the Mt. Druitt Early Childhood Project for Year One level (6-year-old) children. The four programs were identified as "behaviorist,""cognitive,""competency,"…

Proposes a model of target- and native-language proverb comparison which can be used to assist proverb analysis in the language curriculum, using examples from Mandinka, a West African language. (Author/CB)

The apparent difficulty of students of French as a second language to acquire French vocabulary is examined, drawing on experience with teaching Irish university students and the structures and stylistic traits peculiar to French. It is noted that while certain kinds of words (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) occupy little space in text, they take…

Examines how Japanese learners of English transmit information in the target language. Results indicate that the amount of utterance and information did not necessarily correlate; speech patterns of the Japanese differed from those of native speakers; and the students possessed potential oral proficiency if given enough time. (26 references)…

Evaluates the past performance of the tradition of language planning, in view of a theoretical, conceptual, and methodological improvement of future language planning studies. Sketches the historical development of these studies, discusses ideological features present in much traditional language planning work, and raises various issues related to…

Discusses promotion of multicultural child education and literacy learning. Focuses on identity building and language development. Analyzes Brazilian government's "National Curricular References for Child Education." Argues that predominance of a monocultural, cognitive-based approach to child education is detrimental to children whose…

Reports on a research project conducted in Mauritius that aimed to investigate patterns of language use, language choice, and language attitudes of Mauritian adolescents in full-time education. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire and interviews from a sample of the secondary school population. (Author/VWL)

Productive vocabulary composition is investigated in 17-month-old children who are participating in an ongoing longitudinal dyslexia research project in the Netherlands. The project is searching for early precursors for dyslexia and follows a group of children who are genetically at risk for dyslexia and a control group during the first 10 years…

The status of Quechua in Peruvian society is discussed, noting specific social and political factors contributing to the dying out of the Quechua language, functional domains the language serves, and possible measures to improve its status. The relationship of those functional domains to Peruvian language policies is also explored. An introductory…

A series of computer programs and routines designed to assist researchers in the analysis of language usage was developed by the Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL). This document is one of a series that describes design specifications for the individual modules which comprise the Language Analysis Package (LAP). The Content Module functions as a…

CORDON is a computerized system for tracing and documenting changes in the use and frequency of word forms within textual language corpora. In its new form currently under development, CORDON will address the emergence of neologisms, both new words and new terminology within special areas (generally new uses of existing words). The system detects…

This "insider's guide" to American and Japanese communication and misunderstanding is based on the premise that Americans and Japanese have different goals in communication; the American goal is to make messages negotiated between individuals explicit, while the Japanese goal is to keep messages implicit and assumed within the group. In…

Used a genre-based research methodology to determine the rhetorical organization of the introductions and endings of English language essays and to identify correlations between linguistic features and the functions they perform. Findings indicate that essay introductions and conclusions exhibit clearly identifiable generic discourse and…

Analyzes the oral language patterns of students from working class backgrounds, revealing a preference for practical efficiency of communication over grammatical correctness or precision. By school standards, their spoken narrations are confused, incoherent, and incorrect, leading to cultural misunderstandings, mutual incomprehension, and…

Language decline in many immigrant and ethnic communities is always a persistent problem in America. To prevent Native tribal languages from becoming obliterated, several organizations have been founded to document and teach Indigenous languages, a number of tribes have crafted ambitious language policies, and Congress approved the Native American…