Examines the effects of three text signal types (headings, previews, logical connectives) on relatively sophisticated college age readers and their comprehension of technical expository prose. Concludes that all three types can enhance comprehension, but that facilitation depends on passage length and difficulty. (FL)

Type/Token Ratios (TTRs) frequently fail to discriminate between children at widely different stages of language development, and may fall as children get older. Such effects are caused by a negative, though non-linear, relationship between sample size and TTR. Standardization of the number of tokens before computing TTRs is recommended.…

Argues that common processes underlie reading and writing and offers a case study of two students' experiences with reading and writing processes. Contains lessons built upon these commonalities. (FL)

Argues that the educational system should encourage "down to earth" language by including oral recitation in the curricula, particularly recitation of popular poetry with accompaniment. Using the shuttle disaster as a striking example, claims that the modern media overuses conceptual language to disguise the hard meaning of what is being…

Describes the characteristics of language conflict and examines the areas of emphasis in the literature, including multilingualism and linguistic identity, glottophagia and minority/majority relations, the danger of reliance on language censuses, conflict resolution/avoidance, and the importance of ecolinguistics in conflict description and for…

Detailed analysis of frequencies of the primary auxiliary verb "be" in Scots dramatic texts leads to consideration of the typological relationship said to exist between different varieties of Scots and between them and standard English. (Author/CB)

Discusses changes in language contacts that are evolving in Quebec between the minority Anglophones and the French-speaking majority. Census data analyses and field research studies indicate that the pattern of language usage among Anglophones is altering in favor of French, indicating capabilities for and attitudes toward greater participation…

Defines and discusses activated complexes, transition species, and reaction intermediates in composite reactions. Stresses the importance of the precise use of language in science. (CW)

Examination of the lexical proficiency of 24 near-native and 12 native senior high school speakers of Swedish found no consistent differences between the groups on measures of lexical density, lexical variation, and lexical sophistication. However, clear differences were seen in frequency of errors and in the distribution of error types. (CB)

Suggests that an interpretive view of communication, with philosophical assumptions about the nature of persons and communication, provides a perspective from which scholars study argumentation. Presents arguments supporting the value of the interpretive perspective, and answers criticisms by showing how those criticisms are grounded in…

Examines the way bureaucratic practices and background or schematized knowledge can influence physician-patient and physician-physician interaction and language in medical diagnostic reasoning. Provides a case study that illustrates the bureaucratic processes presupposed in the production and reproduction of knowledge in practical scientific…

Urges a "re-inventing" of corporate communications in today's organizations, and provides information about how corporations can change in new and positive ways during the current "information age." Discusses specific public relations and organizational communication concepts essential for a comprehensive understanding of…

Investigation of how college students' (N=125) personality characteristics influenced their attitudes toward various second-language learning activities partially confirmed hypotheses suggesting that risk taking and sociability factors positively influenced attitudes toward free language use and negatively affected attitudes toward highly…

Offers summaries of studies that investigated many topics, including the following: (1) images of the United States in Jordanian media; (2) television terms, such as "radiovision," that did not last; (3) how newspapers in Alaska cope with staff turnover; (4) newspaper design preferences among students; and (5) the problem of libel for…

Proposes a new way of discussing the writing process by drawing a line between Piaget's cognitive egocentrism and Vygotsky's inner speech. (FL)