In the current conditions of globalization and the use of English as a lingua franca (ELF), the notions of pragmatic competence and appropriateness as well as pragmatic failure become of paramount importance to the language learners and instructors. The current article discusses these questions through an approximate replication of Jaworski's…

Neoliberal ideology compels people to develop language skills as human capital. As English is considered to be the most useful language for global communication, learning, and teaching, English has been promoted in many countries. However, the belief that English connects people from diverse linguistic backgrounds in a borderless society…

Researchers exploring the use of language use in radiotelephony communication have tended to focus on the limitations of the non-native English user and the threats which their limited control of English may pose for aviation safety (e.g. Atsushi, 2003, 2004). Hence the recent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) policy places the onus…

In recent years both scientists and laypeople have viewed with dismay the notion that science seems mysteriously different from other areas of human concern. Scientific language is part of the mystique. Yet scientific language is human language before it is science. The mystique that people ascribe to scientific language is of their own making,…

Suggests that much of the irrational and unprogressive behavior characterizing the present age is caused by the nature of language and the manner in which it is used. (TO)

THIS ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF HUMAN LIVING TREATS THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN MAKING ACCURATE STATEMENTS ABOUT PEOPLE AND THE WORLD. LANGUAGE HABITS WHICH MISREPRESENT FACTS OF LIFE ARE DISCUSSED, AS WELL AS LANGUAGE HABITS WHICH PRODUCE "CORRECT-TO-FACT" EVALUATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS. SUBJECTS OF CHAPTERS ARE (1) THE…

According to this paper, the biggest hazard of a private language (or professional jargon) may not be that it obscures efforts to communicate with those outside the business, but rather that it successfully communicates ideas never intended. The paper explores one bit of "educationese"--"safe space" or "safe place"--and reflects on what language…

DEPENDENCE UPON SYMBOLS HAS LONG BEEN THE MARK OF CIVILIZED MAN. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF US HAVE LITTLE TROUBLE IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING THE REFERENTS OF PHYSICAL SYMBOLS, WE ARE LESS SURE WHEN DEALING WITH THE MORE SUBTLE TYPE OF SYMBOLS CALLED WORDS. WE KNOW THAT A WORD'S MEANING MAY VARY ACCORDING TO SPEAKER, WRITER, LISTENER, READER, OR…

Teachers of different languages diconnect themselves from one another, which fragments the profession. Secondly, the choice and use of language often has a disconnecting force. Theses of a book by Neil Postman are considered concerning ineffective communication and communication that has unreasonable or trivial purposes. (SW)

Two essays discuss the need for improved international transfer of scientific and technical information and propose the international language Esperanto for that purpose. "The Role of Esperanto" by Ouyang Wendao suggests that the burden of time and energy spent in translating scientific literature quickly and well and the difficulties of…

Several external and internal factors combine to hinder optimal communication in "Competency," the language of behavior modification. As a language, Competency a) is spoken with varying degrees of fluency and facility, b) is difficult to translate into English because the common vocabulary is used descriptively in English while it is…

THE AUTHOR CHARACTERIZES THIS BULLETIN AS A MESSAGE ON LANGUAGE. THE MESSAGE IS FACILITATED BY (1) A FLUID AND IMAGINATIVE USE OF TYPESETTING, (2) A NARRATIVE-FORM STORY, AND (3) A STORY-PLOT THAT INVOLVES SEVERAL LANGUAGE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS. ALTHOUGH THE STORY COMPRISES THE ENTIRE BULLETIN, THE PURPOSE OF THE BULLETIN IS NOT JUST TO TELL A…

The essays published in this collection were written in response to the basic question, "To what extent is the language of politics/advertising/psychotherapy/education/bureaucracy/etc. facilitating or impeding our chances of survival?" The general topic here is the contemporary use of language and the semantic environment in America, especially in…

Argues that despite claims of gender quality on college campuses, a system of gender differences (particularly communication patterns) puts women at a disadvantage. Focusing on language, several areas in which women students experience harassment in and outside the classroom are identified, and suggestions for changing biased communication…

This book contains 22 studies relating to the social implications of multilingualism in Eastern Africa. The first section, "General and Theoretical Studies," contains papers on national languages and languages of wider communication in developing nations; the communication roles of languages in multilingual societies; the social and…