Some preliminary observations relating to problems of the semiotic mediation of reality through linguistic tools are presented and discussed in light of the experiences of 12- to 13-year-old Swedish students interpreting a table of postage rates. Learning to use such a tool is a genuinely social phenomenon. (SLD)

The motivation/immersion model of literacy centers on the individual and isolates literacy from context. A community development approach regards literacy as a function of social structure; based on this model, literacy education programs are respectful of the culture and idiom of the community. (SK)

Discusses community health care intervention models that address AIDS in communities of color at both the service and policy level. Argues that health care workers must "respect" minority group members before they can effectively intervene against AIDS in the minority communities. (KS)

Describes the influence of ethnography on current writing research. Outlines the debates within the field of ethnography and considers the relevance of those debates to composition theory. Argues for more experimental ethnographic texts. (HB)

French cuisine offers a valuable resource for creating culture-based contexts for language use in the classroom. Suggestions and ideas are presented for incorporating food-related activities in the French class. (VWL)

Used both a noncontextual mode and a natural history mode of analyzing the emotionally charged dramas that form an important part of the socialization of Inuit children. Focused on a three year old's participation in such a drama. Analyzed themes and plots of the incident. (MM)

Argues with John Fiske's position on the nature and function of cultural interpretation. Defines and defends cultural interpretation as an investigative mode the main objective of which is to render participants' communication practices coherent and intelligible, through an explication of a system of symbols, symbolic forms, and meanings which is…

The heart of literacy is the construction of meaning, which is rooted in experience, culture, and language. Respect for cultural and linguistic backgrounds must be incorporated into teacher-learner relationships. This is an essential component of effective literacy programs. (SK)

This discussion treats cultural stereotypes as a significant issue in second-language instruction, and examines the role of video documents from the mass media in helping students perceive and understand such stereotypes. (MSE)

Suggests a culture-independent analytical framework, based on natural semantic metalanguage developed by the author, to explore and analyze six Japanese culture-specific and culturally revealing concepts and show how the semantic metalanguage helps to make the concepts clear and facilitate better insight into Japanese culture and society. (102…

Explores the attempt to deal instructionally with the challenges resulting from the various uses of language and modes of discourse among students and the hope of reconciling these ways with the typical classroom language demands of schools. Shows how this challenge was faced in one classroom setting. (HB)

Distinguishes Q methodology from conventional hypothetico-deductive methodologies and from conventional communication approaches. Illustrates epistemological principles through a single-case study of cultural narcissism examined in terms of responses to pictures appearing in "Time" magazine. (RS)

Results are presented on the grammar of spoken Brazilian Portuguese, with focus on the syntactic boundaries of the main constituents of an utterance. Major differences are found both in the distribution of filling by syntactic adjuncts versus discourse elements and in the susceptibility of different syntactic boundaries to be filled. (Contains 33…

Investigates how context exerts effects the meaning system that enables assessing meaning units, consisting of referent and meaning value. Reveals four kinds of effects of context on meaning. Analyzes the findings of the two studies undertaken, and discusses their implications. (HB)

Discusses some areas of particular interest in the study of education in the South Pacific islands: educational development in small, recently decolonized nations; mismatch between policies of donors of international aid and the needs of developing nations; importance of understanding the context of education; and misapplication of educational…