Discusses the situational-structural syllabus with emphasis on more clearly defining objectives in both scope and content. Four directions for these syllabi are suggested: (1) priority of semantic and functional notions; (2) subordination of grammatical features; (3) introduction of spoken language discourse; and (4) reduction of grammatical…

In many languages, the article cannot occur when a possessive phrase is present in the noun phrase (NP). Argues that these patterns can be understood in terms of economic motivation because possessed NPs are very likely to be definite. Shows how the performance motivation of economy creates the competence pattern in diachronic change. (Author/VWL)

The fifth in a series of articles comparing modern languages to cultural or practical objects relates Spanish to a grill or grid, rigid and confining. (MSE)

Although conversational stories within one individual's corpus share the same structure, they have features that set them apart from one another. Based on the stories' general characteristics and the way they function in ongoing talk, they can be identified as: (1) durable personal experience narratives (PENs), which are often repeated during the…

Proposes an account of linking patterns that does away with intermediary mechanisms such as thematic or actor/undergoer hierarchies. Shows that the generalizations a linking theory needs to capture can be modeled via the same mechanisms as other lexical generalizations, using conditions specified within the hierarchy of word classes. (Author/VWL)

Outlines the structural pattern of exclamative clauses in Paduan. Because of the close similarity between exclamative and interrogative clauses in this language, tests are developed for distinguishing these two clause types. A range of exclamative structures is then presented. (Author/VWL)

Argues that specific patterns of code switching indicate how language is both an index of identity and a tool of communication in South Africa. Suggests speakers exhibit strong loyalty to their first language by the codeswitching patterns they use. (Author/VWL)

Considers the metrical foot in Diyari, a South Australian Language, and concludes that, on the basis of stress alone, an argument can be made for the constituency of the metrical stress foot under certain theoretical assumptions. This conclusion is reinforced by the occupance in Diyari of other less theory-dependant phenomena. (46 references) (JL)

Discusses the sources of information in oral language. Uses converging evidence from prosody, pausing, structural and semantic parallelism, and stylistic analysis to argue for a series of hypotheses about the units that organize the construction of narrative discourse. Provides examples and appendixes. (JD)

Argues that the distribution of lexical stresses in Macedonian and Polish follows from the architecture of metrical theory and can be accounted for by adopting revised obligatory branching (ROB) feet. These are feet where the head dominates an accented syllable and the nonhead may dominate any kind of syllable. (17 references) (JL)

Describes and suggests the significance of syntactic imagery, poetic effects created through expressive grammatical structures. (MM)

All the irregularities of all common French verbs are reduced to five categories in the "passe simple." This system facilitates learning the tense without memorizing each irregular verb independently. (PMJ)

The partitive genitive and other types of genitive are examined to show that despite Latin's rigid, well-defined case system, irregularities in the functioning of the system occur. This allows the system to maximize structural characteristics to offset potential ambiguities. (PMJ)

Discusses issues in the role of non-native English variants as an endonormative standard in non-English-speaking countries, including the status of innovations in the nativization process, continued use of normative standards as a point of reference, ambivalence between recognition and acceptance of non-native norms, adequacy of pedagogical…

The Whorfian Hypothesis, which states that the structure of one's language influences the understanding of reality, is examined in relation to the Chinese language and culture and to the English language and American culture. Examples supporting the Whorfian Hypothesis are offered in language relating to personal relationships. Research on the…