Granted the fact that different cultures have different speaking styles, knowledge of these styles can help people grasp the essence of social cultural knowledge to communicate with others more successfully. In this regard, the present paper aims at comparing the use of speech act of gratitude in Persian and Chinese EFL learners and English native…

The assumptions of sociolinguistics are contrasted with those of its more static predecessors in light of their potential for bearing on educational problems. The focus on variability with regard to sex, age, style, socioeconomic status, race, education is more akin to the dynamics of the linguistic and educational setting in which a child finds…

Sociolinguistics is characterized by a concern for viewing language variation and for seeing language in real social contexts. It has a high potential for relationship and application to other fields such as education, sociology, and psychology. Sociolinguistics try to study the speech of a community, and instead of studying the presence or…

An interactional sociolinguistic analysis of social and attitudinal factors in face to face encounters shows how such factors can affect the evaluation of human action and contribute to the maintenance of socioeconomic disadvantage among ethnic minorities. (Author/GC)

This paper presents a view of traditional American Indian public speaking styles to students studying modern Indian diplomatic talk. A transcription of a talk given by the Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz provides an example of careful political speaking in the traditional tribal style. A culture which is typically oral, rather than…

French native speakers' reactions to phone calls in the United States indicate a difference in the norms of interaction between the two countries. This difference, in turn, is understood when one realizes that the phone call, constituting a speech event, is open to different cultural interpretations. (CHK)

Knowledge of a language requires more than mastery of grammar; effective communication includes social and cultural aspects of language use, such as speaking volume and intonation, conventions of politeness, and set social formulas. The language teacher must be aware of these rules to convey them to students. (CHK)

Much of the language and many constructs used in testing and assessment must be redefined in order for testing instruments to be valid for use with children of African-American descent. These children are products of unique linguistic environments. Current educational assessment tools are insensitive to the cultural-linguistic diversity of the…

This paper focusses on sex contrasts in language as revealed in recent sociolinguistic research. While there are relatively few differences in subjective language identifications and judgments, there are several clear differences in objective language data. In the Detroit Language Study, women show a greater "sensitivity" to multiple…

It is unlikely that reading tests written in standard English can measure the verbal ability of nonstandard speakers. Phonological, syntactic, and lexical biases disproportionately place certain groups at a disadvantage and reinforce undesirable attitudes concerning language varieties. This can be remedied only when the society rids itself of…

Attempts to demonstrate that there is a "cultural communicative style" operating in the issuance of directives that is distinct for different cultures. Emphasis is placed on investigation of children's strategies in their total communicative behavior, both linguistic and nonlinguistic. (EJS)

Discusses psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic questions relevant to the development of language programs for foreigners, such as student motivation, language aptitude, learning styles, cultural differences, language styles, and communicative competence. Focuses particularly on the cultural problems faced by a foreigner, as a student, client, and…

Describes the physical and linguistic structure of subcommunities of Hmong students in northern California with emphasis on communicative channeling and cultural mechanisms regulating information dissemination. Hmong students and their teachers use cultural/linguistic brokers extensively to communicate. (nine references) (Author/CK)

A national random sample of over 14,000 high school seniors was studied with respect to socio-cultural differences in responses to cognitive test items. Six different cognitive tests and ten different groups were analyzed. The tests were: vocabulary, picture-number, reading, letter-groups, mathematics, and mosaic comparisons. The groups were:…

Over 14,000 high school seniors were studied with respect to sociocultural differences on cognitive test item responses. Six different cognitive tests and ten different groups were analyzed. The tests were: vocabulary, picture-number, reading, letter-groups, mathematics, and mosaic comparisons. The groups were: American Indians, blacks,…