Summarizes and critiques the elements of Krashen's Monitor Theory, points out the major implications, and applies them to classes in Great Britain. The elements of Krashen's theory are: (1) the acquisition-learning hypothesis, (2) the monitor hypothesis, (3) the natural order hypothesis, (4) the input hypothesis, and (5) the affective filter…

Reviews research on the psycholinguistic processes underlying second-language learning, especially as it relates to the concept of interlanguage and the contributions made by sociolinguistics, neurolinguistics, and cognitive psychology. (MSE)

A model grounded in recent ordinary language philosophy is proposed which postulates that subjects employ counterfactual and contrastive criteria of causal ascription, as unified in the notion of an abnormal condition. Two experiments satisfy the three criteria specified for an adequate test of the abnormal conditions focus model. (Author/LMO)

Describes the related processes of metaphoric production and comprehension as they are represented by students in the five-to-eleven year age range. Offers guidelines for incorporating the exploration of metaphor in elementary school language programs. (HTH)

Vague language is widely used in both spoken and written English and it is also a very important language variable. The process of language use is active, during which speakers and hearers constantly have to make choices out of variables. This paper mainly studies the influences of vagueness in language on second language learning and attaches…

This book presents a tractable computational model that can cope with complex morphological operations, especially in Semitic languages, and less complex morphological systems present in Western languages. It outlines a new generalized regular rewrite rule system that uses multiple finite-state automata to cater to root-and-pattern morphology,…

Seven postulated stages of acquisition of Spanish as a second language are examined within the context of Processability Theory, whose predictive paradigm is applicable to interlanguage development in any second language (L2). The theory argues that the sequence in which the target language unfolds in the learner is determined by the sequence in…

Three lexical decision experiments tested the claim that lexical access is based on a word's basic orthographic syllabic structure (BOSS). No evidence was found that BOSS is a word's unique lexical access entry, and one experiment suggested that morphemic units are more likely to be access codes than purely orthographic units. (MSE)

The uniform principle assuming that comprehension precedes production in language acquisition was examined using Down's Syndrome children taught to comprehend singular/plural nouns and produce such forms for another noun. Three subjects reached criterion production first and one reached comprehension first, suggesting the modes can develop…

Examines children's errors in interpreting 'ask' as 'tell' in the framework of pragmatic development. Results indicate that if the children do not know the information, they relay the question, i.e., 'ask.' If they do know the answer, they supply it, i.e., 'tell.' (EKN)

Examines the language processing and acquisition abilities of the right hemisphere. Discusses functions performed by the right hemisphere that could play an important role in second language acquisition. (EKN)

A review of all available experimental data indicates that the task-evoked pupillary response, a physiological measure of processing "mental effort," accurately reflects within-task, between-task and between-individual variations in processing demands. (Author/RH)

Evidence from the study indicated that the hearing impaired develop syntactic patterns, constructions, and processing abilities for language that differ from those used by the hearing but that semantic patterns and processing abilities of the hearing impaired are similar to those of the hearing. (Author/SB)

Study examined the relationship between comprehension and production of lexical items when children are taught to both comprehend and produce new lexical items and when children are taught either to comprehend or produce new lexical items. Study involved teaching 12 adults and 12 children a miniature language. Results indicate production training…

Examines how one interprets and reacts to dirty-word descriptors. Subjects judged how much they would like a fictitious person described with dirty and non-dirty adjective pairs. Liking was influenced by: (1) semantic interpretation, (2) intrinsicalness of the adjective for the person described, and (3) contextual relations between speaker and…