Two experiments study the effects of structure and content variables on memory and comprehension of prose passages. The first experiment tests the effects of systematically varying the amount of structure present in to-be-learned passages. The second experiment assesses the independent contributions of structure and content variables in…

This article discusses the relationship in languages between passive forms and active forms from a psycholinguistic point of view. (Text is in French.) (CLK)

Reviews 15 publications on teaching French (1972-1975). Encluded are books on: spoken vs. written French, linguistic grammar and teaching grammar, minimum French grammar, error linguistics, text collections for Secondary Grade 2, a stylistic exercise book, a collection for dictation, and literature. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

This article criticizes a previous paper that stressed a transformational analysis of children's question acquisition. It is argued that a surface structure generalization analysis makes empirically correct predictions about mistakes both in acquisition of inverted word order and in the form of "wh" questions. (CHK)

Describes a study in which 12 students' papers were critiqued by both WordPerfect's "Grammatik" grammar checking software and by real English/business communication professors. Finds significant limitations to the effectiveness of the software as a guide for student writers. (SR)

Describes teaching "Useful Grammar" to inner-city middle school children in Jackson, Mississippi. Discusses key elements of Useful Grammar: identifying and focusing on grammatical structures; relying on knowledge already possessed; inventing more memorable nomenclature; devising lesson plans and hands-on activities; and having students practice…

Investigates whether English teachers and teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) rate writing samples differently using both holistic (global) and analytical (multiple trait) scoring methods. Findings suggest that the analytical scoring method may be more faithful to real dissimilarities existing between these two groups than is the…

Examines syntactic choices available to journal article writers for making reporting statements and the conditions governing such choices. The article investigates the way in which the choice of theme affects the syntactic form of the reports. The resulting syntactic forms are shown to be associated with the function of reports in their contexts.…

The influence of information level on the production of accuracy of 20 children was examined. Data were children's productions of nouns in sets of utterances referring to triplets of pictures representing noun-verb-noun utterances. (Author/JL)

Lists activities designed to improve students' skills in speaking, writing, singing, and grammar in a foreign language. These activities include talking about resolving a problem situation, writing a narrative in the foreign language being studied, listening to a song and associating its words with images, and engaging in conversation designed to…

Examines the modifier "quite" to determine how it is used and understood. The article examines published pedagogic materials, investigates reader interpretations of authentic samples, and analyzes the practices of experienced writers. The analysis shows that "quite" is highly context-sensitive and has an essentially indeterminate epistemic…

Presents an interview with Winston Weathers, a composition theorist, whose ideas, according to the interviewer, have not been as influential in the field as they should have been. Examines how Weathers' ideas developed and evolved and how they have been received. (TB)

Adult migrant learners of English were studied to investigate the effect of instruction on interlanguage development. Examination of the acquisition of a syntactic structure, "do-fronted questions," supported claims for the productiveness of form-focused instruction and suggested that the success of instruction depended on whether specific…

Discusses "story grammar" strategies, such as self-questioning, story maps, character and plot development, and comparison and contrast of similar stories, which can be used to help elementary students with learning disabilities or low-achieving students improve their reading and writing skills. Activities are described for each…

Investigates English-as-a-Second-Language classes in Auckland, New Zealand to compare the frequency and characteristics of incidental focus on form episodes occurring in these classes. (Author/VWL)