Studies with 8 children in the United Kingdom and 30 in Finland show that verbal interactions of children doing collaborative writing with a computer are highly task-related and characterized by exchange of information, questioning, judging, organizing, and composing. Exploratory and argumentational use of language was found to be low. (SLD)

A questionnaire was distributed to Saudi Arabian undergraduates in order to investigate their attitudes toward Westernization, national identity, and religious commitment. Results revealed that learning English did not "Westernize" students nor weaken national identity. Implications and recommendations for establishing a rigid language…

Discusses a four-week unit of study for an 11th-grade honors class on Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Notes how they listened to the novel on audiocassette; discussed it in "Porch Groups"; reflected on what they read and heard in their notebooks; responded to each other's entries during Notebook Swaps; and invited a visiting…

Presents the results of an anonymous, Internet-based questionnaire study on target language and first language use in university-level foreign language classes. Goals were to develop preliminary components of a descriptive model of target language and first language use and explore the relationships between target language and student anxiety…

Examines the language attitudes of parents and secondary school students who are participating in programs where both official languages of Paraguay--Spanish and Guarani--are taught. Studies the relationship between linguistic attitudes and usage. (Author/VWL)

Examines the means by which trade mark law establishes determinacy of form. The article probes how this points to assumptions about the nature of language that radically differ with those of orthodox 20th century linguistics, particularly in connection with the distinction between language and the use of language. (nine references) (CK)

Compares the attitudes towards divided or debatable usages between Hong Kong teachers and their students. Data were collected via elicitation tests. Findings showed significant differences between teachers' and students' attitudes towards debatable usages. (Author/VWL)

Summarizes three studies that have revolutionized child psychology by teaching us that children are biologically programmed to learn language; children's language development is orderly and pragmatic, but grammatically mysterious; and children's linguistic self-expression reveals some disturbing ways in which they have been socialized. Presents…

Examples from upper primary classrooms in Scotland and Jamaica demonstrate the subtle ways in which teachers support or restrict the classroom use of community languages (Scots and Patwa) through their broad or narrow implementation of language policy. The metaphor of fractals, derived from complexity theory, can form a sensitive and appropriate…

Examines language use and language preference of children aged 6 to 15 and their parents at the University of Botswana. Results indicate that the majority of the children speak Setswana and English, despite the fact that they come from different language groups. Language preferences of children differ from that of parents. Shows the growth of…

Provides insights into the Malaysian English language policy, required standards, and testing in language use in Malaysian tertiary institutions. Gives information about backwash effects in particular about institutional programs related to the teaching of English as a Second Language. (Author/VWL)

Explores the way in which language teachers can diagnose language learners' competence from both a sociocultural and linguistic perspective. Uses two sample "letters of complaint" to consider competence in terms of how well the writers organize and structure their texts in relation to their social purpose and cultural context and then examines the…

This examination of the frequency of occurrence of multiple meaning expressions in the oral speech of teachers found that such expressions as indirect requests, idioms, similes, metaphors, and irony were used in about 36 percent of all utterances by two different teachers at each grade level from K-eight. Implications for language-impaired…

Examines how a warehouse manager and three subordinates display social structure through their use of power and social distance language forms. Shows how some conversational resources distinguish "in,""middle" and "out-group" relationships, whereas others neutralize group membership. (MM)

Suggests drama in education as a teaching strategy which is likely to promote classroom dialogue. Discusses liminality as a dramatic quality which facilitates authentic dialogue between teacher and students. (MS)