Current research in linguistic typology shows some syntactic processes, such as rightward dislocation of modifiers, to be characteristic of certain types of languages, and that a language of that type without such processes is "unnatural" and likely to develop them. For instance, almost all languages with order Verb-Object (VO) have dislocation…

The ways speakers of Black English modify features of their spoken dialect in the process of adapting their language to writing are examined in this dissertation, on the basis of a corpus of writing from 41 black students enrolled in a St. Louis community college composition course. Each student is represented by 500 to 1000 words of writing…

Recognition that students at Midwestern State University, Texas, lacked a basic level of linguistic skills prompted an inductive approach to the teaching of grammar, in which nonsense words were used to introduce concepts of English usage. Working in small groups, students arranged the nonsense words to form sentences which "sound[ed] like…

A study is reported in which Mexican-American and Anglo adolescents rated the personalities of sixteen speakers representing four language categories: English-Home, Spanish-Home, English-School, and Spanish-School. The study sought information about the Mexican-American bilingual adolescent and his reactions to his position as a bilingual.…

This study was designed to determine whether subjects would behave differently to a standard and nonstandard British-accented speaker. The matched-guise procedure was used with a stimulus speaker present, face-to-face with listeners. Listeners did not know they would subsequently be required to evaluate the speaker's personality. (Author/RM)

A context-sensitive, generative lexical rule model is developed that is capable of overcoming the insufficiencies of both the transformationalist and the lexicalist approaches to work formation, e.g., semantic-syntactic asymmetry, metaphoric usage, and restricted rule productivity. (DB)

The variety of syntactic forms for expression of directives is commented on. Data has been collected investigating the empirical distribution of formal variants across social features and predictability of the form of a directive if social features of its context are known. (Author/RM)

This report was originally delivered to the State English as a Second Language Conference held in Brisbane in December 2001. It was part of a team presentation made to a plenary session by representatives from Torres Strait (Terry McCarthy, Mette Morrison David, Judy Christian Ketchell, Raba Jobi, Keith Fisher, Kay Ahmat and Susan Shepherd). Its…

Exercises integrating mathematical concepts and reading are explained.

"Sight Unseen" by Mary Ann Beggs and "Language and Values" by Victoria J. Heland are provided to suggest techniques for exploring language through the five senses and through making ethical choices. (DD)

Asserts that, if the aim of foreign language teaching is to be communicative competence, then some of the sociocultural determinants of usage of some forms should not be overlooked. The Spanish pronominal address forms, "tu" and "Ud.," are discussed as an example. (EJS)

Discusses current language needs analyses, and considers the relationship between this type of analysis and language programs and materials. (AM)

A number of linguistic problems identified through analysis of primary mathematics texts are discussed. These include vocabulary, readability and perception. (MP)

This article criticizes a resolution drafted by the Executive Committee of the Conference on College Composition and Communication. It argues that the framers of the resolution create misleading impressions about the sociolinguistic situation in the U.S. (Author/AM)