Reports on four experiments designed to compare the accuracy of the listener's memory for information associated with the thematic and nonthematic portions of sentences. Results are consistent with the identification of the nonthematic portion of a sentence as the locus of new ideas conveyed to the language recipient. (CLK)

Criticizes traditional methods of defining the syntactical complexity of utterances and proposes distinguishing the various types of subordination in the sentence as well as elements of continuity and discontinuity in discourse structure, with particular reference to child language. (Text is in French.) (CDSH/AM)

Although Japanese word order is considered flexible and can often be changed without causing semantic change, there is consistent regidity in the language, as explained here. (CHK)

Discusses problems encountered in the use of possessives in spoken Spanish. (Text is in Spanish.) (CLK)

This article discusses the various styles of commercial correspondence in Spanish. (Text is in Spanish.) (CLK)

The English of two Japanese boys acquiring English in a natural setting was observed over five months. The analysis and comparison of their language to first language acquisition data showed a striking similarity. There was no clear evidence of transfer from the mother tongue. (Author/RM)

This book investigates the depth of the illiteracy problem in the United States and the rationale and administration of a literacy-learning program. Based on some of the latest reading research, the authors provide a comprehensive up-to-date look at literacy tutoring. Following an introduction to the illiteracy problem, the book focuses on…

Written for the fifth- and sixth-grade levels, this workbook gives students practice in using context clues and reading comprehension to apply punctuation rules, as well as in carefully reading and following directions. Noting that the activities are based on the idea that punctuation is necessary to make written communication clear, the…

This book presents a guide to syntax in the Hungarian language. It is intended for students and researchers working on syntax and those interested in Finno-Ugric languages. It describes the key grammatical features of the language, focusing on the phenomena that have proven to be theoretically the most relevant and that have attracted the most…

Kutenai has an obviation system reminiscent of the systems found in Algonquian languages, in which at most one third person nominal in a clause is proximate and others are obviate. Although the behavior of proximate nominals within clauses and within texts reflects a special status for proximates as having some sort of "higher rank" than…

This paper explores the syntactic and semantic character of previously undescribed sentence complements (SCs) in Emai, a Benue-Congo language of Nigeria's Edoid group. Data come from ongoing documentation incorporating oral narrative texts as well as dictionary and grammar descriptions. To delineate the grammatical properties of SCs, the paper…

Presents results from an experiment designed to extend the study of the relationship between the syntactic sophistication of the student and the material being read. (TO)

The present study is an attempt to explore the usefulness of demographic predictors of writing ability. Specifically, it is concerned with delineating the elements involved in writing and to ascertain the effects of achievement, language background, age, sex, social class, etc., on linguistic ability. (Author/RK)