This study examined the relationship of different measures of syntactic complexity with rated quality for two genres of text produced by middle school students. It was hypothesized that different measures would be associated with distinct aspects of syntactic complexity; words per clause with greater use of structures more typical of expository…

In the Filipino language, kuwento means "story," but the concept itself encapsulates more than its literal meaning. Similar to talk story events in Hawaiian communities (Au & Jordan, 1981), kuwento serves as a tool to communicate everyday experiences within groups, especially among family and community members (Eugenio, 1981). It is an abstraction…

Illustrates ways the theories and methods of linguistics can be used to analyze discourse. Uses reports from American print media discussing facets of the O.J. Simpson case, its verdict, and subsequent events. Suggests that this discourse, viewed as a composite whole, represents a culture's creation, disillusion, and reestablishment of its sense…

In this paper I propose that interest in "narrative" within the human sciences is comparable to interest in "chaos" within the natural sciences. In their respective ways, theories on narrative and theories on chaos are aimed at appreciating the dynamics of complex, multi-dimensional systems which otherwise resist our attempts to predict, measure,…

This study reviews theories supporting the construction of student knowledge and found they rely upon theoretical operations with few pragmatic applications. A new paradigm of learning needs to emerge which focuses on how students actually construct their own knowledge, based on reconstructing current/past knowledge or experience, and their…

A discussion of the elements of good spoken narration for media presentations. (HB)

Describes some of the factors that influence critical judgments regardless of operative theoretical stance. Identifies several factors which may contribute to effective performance criticism. (MS)

How to make written narrations informal and conversational in style. (Author)

Reconsiders propensity of elderly to talk about past from social constructionist perspective, offering sociological alternative to life review interpretation. Data from life narrative interviews with 30 near-centenarians illustrate importance of situated narrative challenges for initiating construction and communication of life stories. Presents…

Explores narrative theory and research in fields allied with professional communication to clarify the value of narrative in the discipline. Addresses the move in many fields to reconceptualize research as narrative. Frames narrative within postmodernism, and examines the centrality of ethnography. Discusses implications of postmodernist…

This dissertation investigates Wolof Sufi oral narrative structure and its relationship with the context of production of the narratives. The findings of this study indicate that the structure of these narratives is characterized by (1) the salience of the complicating action, (2) the presence a pre-story stage, which announces the general topic,…

We report a study comparing the narrative abilities of 12 adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger Syndrome (AS) versus 12 matched controls. The study focuses on the use of referential expressions (temporal expressions and anaphoric pronouns) during a story-telling task. The aim was to assess pragmatics skills in people with HFA/AS in…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of time-compressed narration and representational adjunct images on a learner's ability to recall and recognize information. The experiment was a 4 Audio Speeds (1.0 = normal vs. 1.5 = moderate vs. 2.0 = fast vs. 2.5 = fastest rate) x Adjunct Image (Image Present vs. Image Absent) factorial…

This article examines whether there is any difference between the effect of oral and written corrective feedback (CF) on learners' accurate use of English articles. To this end, the current research presents the results of a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, immediate-posttest, delayed-posttest design, using 12 intact intermediate…

This study examines children's flow experiences in an interactive social game environment. A total of 33 children aged from 7 to 9 years participated in the study for 6 weeks. Data were collected through observations and interviews. In order to measure the flow experiences of the children, items of a flow scale were administered to the children…