Command of transitivity permutations in Hebrew, where a change in verb-argument syntax entails a change in verb morphology, were examined in 30 children aged 2, 3, and 8. Findings have implications for the development of derivational morphology, item-based versus class-based learning, and the impact of lexical productivity and language-particular…

Evaluates the Turkish language reform in a language planning framework, showing the sociocultural, political, and linguistic reasons leading to this movement and describing the processes and the outcome of this undertaking, which changed the Turkish language and shaped its subsequent development. Special emphasis is given to the process of corpus…

This study examined nonstandard syntactic and morphological forms used by 45 poor, urban, 4- to 5.5-year-old African American children. Distributional analyses revealed three subgroups distinguished by the percentage frequencies of occurrence of utterances containing specific forms and by the predominant types used by each group. (Author)

Teaching techniques that enhance the functional communication skills of children in primary-level classes are presented. The techniques focus on articulation, receptive and expressive language, and auditory processing. The role of the teacher as a communication model is noted. (JDD)

Recognizing that English-as-a-Second-Language students may take seven to eight years to reach proficiency in academic language comparable to the English-speaking peers, this study examined illustrations in Hong Kong, Japanese, Mexican, and Canadian social studies textbooks. Findings that illustrations/graphics are common across languages suggest…

Research is reported showing that children are lexically conservative in the domain of learning argument omissibility. Two studies (one observational case study, one experimental) show a relationship between the argument frames used in input and those used by child subjects. (Contains 38 references.) (Author/LB)

An observational project on children's early literacy examined conditions necessary for growth in literacy; ways children evidence their need for personal control through literacy; the social functions of literacy for young children; and how children manipulate and play with language. (TJQ)

The preparation of second-language students for the academic mainstream is discussed. Consideration is given to the essential role of personal experience in learning, language acquisition, and academic reading/writing and to assessment of the implications for the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. (Contains 56 references.) (Author/LB)

A longitudinal study examined the acquisition of English articles by three six-year-old children whose native tongue is Chinese, a language without articles. Findings suggest that referential place-holding and referential substitution may not be a Chinese-specific second-language learning phenomenon, rather part of a universal referential strategy…

Argues that teachers of children and adolescents with deafness, especially prelingual deafness, need to put greater emphasis on their students' English language skills. Students with deafness need to be fully literate in English so that they can succeed in their academic and vocational endeavors. (MDM)

Recognizing that preschool experience of hearing stories read aloud contributes significantly to children's subsequent success in learning to read at school, this paper explores the complex and powerful literacy learning that can develop from a certain style of whole class story reading to children whose home cultures would not otherwise give them…

This longitudinal case study follows the development of a woman with autism from mutism at age 10 to acquisition of a range of spoken and written language skills by age 26. Results support hypotheses that both spoken and written language may become feasible forms of communication in such cases, although some skills may plateau or decline.…

The Total Physical Response (TPR) method of language instruction is introduced, and guidelines for designing and implementing TPR lessons for students with hearing impairments are provided. In TPR instruction, students develop understanding before speech or signing, understanding is demonstrated through actions, and new vocabulary is developed…

Six young children (ages 25 to 40 months) with delays in language comprehension were presented with stimulus items in 3 conditions: (1) object cue and speech, (2) movement cue and speech, or (3) speech alone. All children identified referents with fewer trials when object or movement cues were used with speech compared to use of speech alone.…

Examines two methods of differentially classifying language-delayed children as either specifically language impaired (SLI) or developmental-lag language impaired. Results indicated significant differences in classification between the two methods of defining SLI, as well as substantial changes in classification over time using either method. (47…