Defines the term "hedging" (the use of words which make meaning less clear), focusing specifically on its nature and consequences in the teaching of the English language. Ways in which students can be made more aware of such language use and can avoid it are outlined. (CB)

A study determined what types of speech act five- to 13-year-olds and adults would define as "promising." Results indicate that children could distinguish between "promising" and "predicting" in terms of the speaker's responsibility for the outcome. (Author/CB)

Notes that "identification" and "commitment" appear frequently in organizational studies as ways of describing the individual's connection with the organization and argues that the concepts are distinct but interrelated. Sees identification as the substance of individual-organization relationships and commitment as the form.…

Presents personal opinions of high school teachers that reflect the linguistic diversity, literary treasures, and regional uniqueness of North America. (NH)

Presents the results of a two-year study of the use of language in ceramics classes. Provides sample dialogues and data on several topics, including: (1) problems of subject terminology, (2) teachers' assumptions of student knowledge and understanding of the subject, and (3) the proportion of time given to the use of verbal language. (JDH)

A research study was conducted to determine the relative frequency of occurrence of English punctuation rules, features of typewritten format, selected elements of English style in written business communications, and frequency of error for each element. Tabulations were made on the frequency of errors and correct occurrences for each analyzed…

Argues that doublespeak is more than just semantics, since words embody modes of perception. Explains how English teachers can help expose and eradicate doublespeak. (FL)

Examined the conversations of preschool children as they completed two different tasks--a picture making task and a doll playing task. Concludes that the children's speech was primarily task-focused and that the rate of speech varied with task. (FL)

Discusses the work of Blake and how it situates the author in thinking about literary criticism and theory and how it affects his teaching. (SRT)

Expands and develops the theory of "ser" and "estar" with predicate adjectives which was first presented in "Hispania" in May 1983. This theory holds that the selection of "ser" or "estar" in constructions with predicate adjectives expresses different types of implied comparisons. (SED)

Much of the writing and speaking of academic administrators is too long, convoluted, full of qualifiers, and slow to get to the point. While academe may be full of imprecisions, the task of its leaders is to illuminate it, not obscure it. (MSE)

Explores three current approaches to describing what happens to basic writers when they enter college. Seeks a more comprehensive approach that takes into account the differences in dialect, discourse conventions, and ways of thinking, through the notion of a language community, and W. Perry's developmental model. (HTH)

A 30-item scale was developed to identify Hispanic acculturation level by assessing Spanish usage by 92 Chicano fourth-grade children and significant others. Reported Spanish usage by grandparents, parents, and children were significantly different. Scale reliability was .92. Validity rs were .50 with a bilingual scale and .58 with SES. (Author/DC)

Multiculturalism is a historical condition in Scotland. The country's identity is ambiguous, but Scotland could come to understand its own identity better by developing its own international understanding and by understanding the pluralism of its own society, past and present. (MSE)

Describes a study to examine the changes that take place in the form and types of discussions about the past as two young, Spanish-speaking girls moved from elicited routines to spontaneous and novel conversations about their past experiences. (HTH)