Investigates an external variable critical to the understanding of sociolinguistic variation in a rural, tri-ethnic community in the Southern United States. Cultural identity is postulated as a speaker's orientation to the local and larger regional cultures, and in Warren County, North Carolina, this orientation correlates strongly with vernacular…

English-as-second-language instructors should take into account the importance of context for the meaning of language and address the varieties of English that learners will encounter in their daily lives. The principal elements of language variation and their implications for learners are described for the benefit of second language teachers.…

Historical/sociocultural circumstances of the French language in Canada are outlined and the role of Quebec French in Canadian language education is discussed, focusing on its place in French teaching outside Quebec and in development of bilingualism. Establishment of a Quebecois language is viewed as essential to French Canadian cultural…

Proposes a model for a French phonetics course in Canada based on Canadian usage, using an inventory of segmental features in published descriptions of Canadian French that has been modified based on comparison with features common to television news readers. The resulting model is of an unstigmatized Canadian French. (Author/MSE)

A study investigated the role of audience awareness in translation of lexical items, specifically as it may affect translation from English to Chinese. The audiences, or readership, in this case is defined as readers from three different regions in which Chinese is used predominantly: Hong Kong; mainland China; and Taiwan. The varieties of Chinese…

The oral proficiency interview (OPI) has been submitted to external scrutiny and has been accepted by many foreign language educators as an accurate method of assessing speaking competence of foreign language learners. An OPI is herein examined in the context of evaluating native speakers. (seven references) (JL)

A study investigated how four anglophone Caribbean students enrolled in an American college perceive their own language and writing in standard English, the morphosyntactic and semantic features that emerge when they write in standard English, and the extent to which discourse features revealed in their writing are attributable to Creole…

Seven everyday topics are discussed in Basa Djarkarta, a dialect of Malay spoken in Djarkarta by over three million people. The purpose of the reading text, part of the basic course in Indonesian for official United States military personnel, is to acquaint students with this increasingly popular dialect in addition to Bahasa Indonesian, the…

Demonstrates how nonnative varieties of English are distinct from interlanguages or approximate systems of "established" varieties of English. Two strategies are examined: (1) the generalization of rules found in the established varieties of English and (2) the transfer into English of linguistic features from learners' other languages.…

Argues that native English speakers who work in the Third World as academic or technical experts often face conflicts with locals because of communications difficulties arising out of differing understandings of linguistic code. It is suggested that native English speakers should undergo training in interethnic and intercultural communications…

Considers the question of which variety of Indonesian to teach in Australia. Issues related to standardization, formality, and diglossia in Bahasa, Indonesia, the use of its many varieties across Indonesia, differences between the Jakarta dialect and the standard form, and pedagogical considerations in teaching non-standard varieties are…

This book is designed for advanced classes of adults learning English as a second language. The first section uses maps and texts to show the historical background of some important English dialects. A brief look at Canadian French is included. The second section deals with the origins of words, focussing on the tremendous influence of French on…

Research described oral texts produced by second- and third- generation bilingual Chicano Spanish speakers when required to carry out a set of functions in only one of their available codes. Analysis focuses on characteristics of planned, noninteractive spoken language produced in Spanish by university students in a classroom setting, compared…

The debate continues about regional norms for English usage around the world, although the discussion has become more realistic and less didactic. Educated non-native varieties are increasingly accepted, distinctions are being made between national and international language uses, and localized varieties are no longer considered as necessarily…

The text presents an introduction to sociolinguistics for second language teachers, focusing on social dimensions of language likely to be of interest to this group. The first group of chapters addresses the manner in which the larger social and political context affects language broadly: "Language Attitudes, Motivation, and Standards" (Mary…