Compares he use of linguistic metaphor and conceptual metaphor in a corpus of English and Spanish financial reports published in newspapers during the October 1997 stock market crash. Findings indicate much similarity in conceptual and linguistic metaphors between the two languages, but some differences in the frequency of particular linguistic…

Examines the effects of teachers' language on initial impressions and uncertainty reduction in the university classroom. States that language was operationalized using powerful and powerless forms. Finds that teachers using powerful language forms were rated consistently higher than those who used powerless forms, and that differences were also…

Reports on the results of four experiments that show that people can recognize ironic meanings that were not intended, and that processing unintended irony can be done easily precisely because speakers' utterances, unbeknownst to them, create ironic situations. Discusses implications for psycholinguistic theories of irony comprehension and for…

Provides examples of typical mathematics statements that elementary school teachers use when teaching mathematics, demonstrating how they are imprecise or incorrect. Suggests ways teachers can present ideas more clearly and precisely, noting that appropriate mathematical language should help students gain conceptual understanding, rather than…

This paper examines the basic rationale for the necessity of multicultural sensitivity in therapeutic recreation practice, noting ways to exercise an innovative mindset (make a commitment to consciousness, use culturally consistent language, embrace a flexible interpersonal style, be aware of interdependent orientations, and promote multicultural…

Examines the use of addressee honorifics (the "masu" form) and their nonhonorific counterpart (the plain form) at home and in classroom interactions at elementary schools in Japan from the perspective of language socialization. Finds that both at home and school the "masu" and plain forms are used as indices of the mode of…

Presents brief annotations of 20 children's books and picture books, in 3 categories: books that contain dialect, books in 2 languages, and books with interesting ways of using language. (SR)

Examines stylistic conventions across disciplines in the language of doctoral theses, arguing that these conventions reflect sophisticated learning of key disciplinary norms governing the conception, production, and reporting of knowledge in particular fields. Attention is directed to the structure of argument and techniques for coherence,…

Describes 30 children's books published in 1999 selected by the National Council of Teachers of English's Children's Literature Assembly as being notable for their potential to enhance language awareness and usage among children in grades K-8. (SR)

Outlines and discusses 10 language skill problems that cause frequent errors among students and professional writers. Gives corrections and more appropriate solutions to the discussed errors. (SC)

Draws on studies of gender and bilingualism to investigate ways in which acquisition and usage patterns of English as an additional language in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa may be gendered. Results are interpreted in terms of the construction of gender identities, to explore ways in which gender identities may be changing in modernizing contexts.…

Examines the use of "then"/"after that" by Vietnamese and Chinese learners of English as a Second Language, suggesting that this temporal adverb poses as much of a learning challenge as morphological means of temporal reference. Shows that a learner's usage is monitored by a looser notion of salience, which emerges from the…

Confronts the challenges of getting young actors to embrace the use of language. Presents a series of exercises designed to expose students to the potential power of the spoken word by using three different kinds of texts: advertising copy, children's storybooks, and the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Discusses how the author engages his…

Discusses when it is permissible to use the word "nigger," noting the word's unique status and examining how to determine its potency in comparison to other racial epithets. Examines the history of the word's use and current uses by comedians, the media, and people of different races. Presents an example of the word's controversial use…

Examines two areas of applied linguistics: corpus analysis and critical discourse analysis, where linguistic description makes claims to be directly relevant to real world problems in language use and learning. (Author/VWL)