Analyzes the negative utterances made by German-speaking children in transcripts of spontaneous speech. Results indicate that German-speaking children distinguish between "nicht" and "nein," using "nicht" in sentence-medial position for sentential negation and "nein" in sentence-initial position for anaphoric negation. (Author/VWL)

Demonstrates the willingness and ability of non-linguists to provide information about "what they know" about everyday speech activities in the form of their interpretive responses to various tape-recorded fragments of talk. Three types of information are identified from these responses, including overtly "available" information about a variety of…

Analysis of English articles use patterns found the definite article (DA) used far less than in other European languages. Generic DA use is rare in English, generally only used where the head noun has already been referred to or is contextually unique. Otherwise, the indefinite article, a possessive, or plural of the noun without an article must…

Employed a new methodology to test children's ability to produce metaphors incorporated into metaphoric compounds. In two studies, 59 children aged between 2 and 6 years, and 34 adults participated in elicited production tasks. Results show that children have an early ability to use metaphoric language, but the significant developmental change…

Measured thinking styles of first-year South African university students using the Sternberg Mental Self-government Thinking Styles Inventory. Found that the preferred thinking styles were executive, legislative, hierarchic, internal, and conservative. Major and language were differentiating factors in thinking style preferences; gender was not.…

Examines the range and depth of English in India and argues that these Kachruvian notions go a long way towards explaining how the language is used, exploited, extended, and recreated in the sub-continent. Data, both written and spoken, are presented, and it is suggested that in-depth analyses of such data are a prerequisite to any real…

Presents a (fictional) conversation between a college English professor and a graduate student in English who is something of a purist about the language. Shows, in conversations across a semester and a half, her changing attitudes about the rules of good English, "purity" in the language, divided usage, and confusing grammar and usage. (SR)

Discusses the logic, elegance, and history of using they, them, and their as singular indefinite pronouns. Notes that, as a solution to the pronoun problem, the strength of this solution is its vagueness. Offers numerous real-life examples from publications or broadcasts and lists why it is counterproductive for English teachers to exclude this…

Argues that writing for the media is utilitarian (not formal) writing, and that slang is acceptable when it conveys meaning. Argues that student journalists need to learn how to analyze slang so they know when to use it and when to avoid it. Offers advice for teachers, and includes two exercises for students on slang. (SR)

Explores whether speakers choose spatial perspectives to minimize effort. Discusses an experiment in which speakers describe locations on a display for addressees who shared their vantage point or had different views. Finds that same-viewpoint speakers spoke differently from speakers with offset views, who did not differ from each other reliably,…

Describes the vision of children's literature in the People's Republic of China: to convey cultural values, to nourish moral and character development, to sharpen thinking skills and expand knowledge, and to enhance language use. Discusses obstacles faced by children's literature. (SR)

Compares the author's pleasurable experience of getting on citizens' band radio and learning its language to her equally pleasurable experience of getting on the Internet and learning its language. (TB)

Studies use of a restricted language, Simplified English (SE), to write procedural documents for specific audiences. Examines the effect of type (SE versus non-SE), passage (A versus B), and native language on the comprehensibility, identification of content location, and task completion of procedure documents for airplane maintenance. Suggests…

This article examines the further spread of non-traditional quotatives to the speech of adolescents in Glasgow, Scotland and how these forms might have been transmitted. (Author/VWL)

Presents a comparative study of the term "context" across three major research journals: "Research in the Teaching of English"; "Reading Research Quarterly"; and "Journal of Literacy Research." Shows that the most consistent finding reported across studies is that context makes a difference, but a clear understanding of what is meant by context…