This study investigated the level of politeness of various forms of request made in English, as if spoken to an American, as perceived by college-level native speakers of English (n=80), Japanese speakers in the United States (n=34), and Japanese speakers in Japan (n=103). A semantic differential questionnaire measuring 10 levels of politeness was…

Extracts from financial reports broadcast on two British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio channels are analyzed for cognitive structures that affect the conceptual organization of this discourse type. The approach used for the analysis is based on two assumptions in the relationship of communication and cognition. These are: (1) financial…

In a politically changing world, "languages in contact" must be redefined as "speakers of different languages in contact," and the implications for language learning and teaching must be recognized. Phenomena occurring beyond the languages themselves should be addressed in both language instruction and the construction of…

Approximately 47,000 people in Australia speak an Aboriginal or Islander language as their first language and have better comprehension in one of these languages than in English. Recognizing this, and desiring to provide biblical translations in these languages, the Australian Aborigines and Islanders Branch of the Summer Institute of Linguistics…

A review of work on the concept of language needs and on analytical models useful for study of modern language instruction brings together psycho-educational and technical perspectives. The concept of need is examined, and the most common theoretical models of language needs and need models in an institutional context are outlined. The study of…

A theoretical linguistic model is insufficient to deal with the problems of language teaching because of the complexity of the phenomena concerned and the dynamic nature of language acquisition and communication. Most linguistic models neglect the fact that, in communicative situations, language users construct the prerequisites of communicative…

The popular view that children have an advantage in learning a second language has considerable support in research, although it is not uncontested. One approach proposes that the child possesses a unique capacity for language that the adult no longer has. Another view argues that the child's brain is more flexible. A third approach assumes that…

The basic premise of this paper is that second language learning or teaching is an exercise in contrastive linguistics because learners filter and assimilate the second language through the categories and experiences represented by the first language to create situationally appropriate utterances. By selecting and exchanging information,…

Bilingualism and bilingual education in the U.S.S.R., the People's Republic of China, and Canada are discussed as a context for examining American attitudes toward and the establishment of bilingual education programs. Russian and minority languages in the Soviet Union are examined, including the early development of Soviet language policy,…

An approach to reading instruction based on a socio-psycholinguistic theory of the language learning process is presented in this book. Chapter 1 provides an overview of oral and written language development; identifies language processes, language systems, and cultural setting; and describes a socio-psycholinguistic model of language learning and…

Defining general semantics as the study of words or symbols and their effects on human behavior, this paper proposes a general semantics approach to the teaching of style in college introductory speech courses. The paper cites results of a 1980 survey of basic speech course content and emphases, showing that while most courses devote a great deal…

After a pilot study identified possible responses that children and adolescents give when defining concrete and abstract nouns, a study investigated the development of concrete noun (specific objects) and abstract noun (concepts) definitions given by 10, 14, and 18-year-olds, as well as whether abstract and concrete nouns are defined in a parallel…

In the British post-colonial era, instruction in English as a second language has developed stronger ties to the field of applied linguistics than to education. Both British and foreign instructors have been trained in linguistic rather than educational theory and practice. One result has been a cadre of specialists not fully prepared for jobs in…

Spelling, a basic component of information technology, has been investigated for its efficiency as a means of communication, with some researchers claiming that English spelling is close to ideal for really literate people to read fast and efficiently. Evidence about human abilities to obtain meaning from the printed word has come from studies of…

The references in this bibliography tend toward practical or "how to" strategies for writing. The 718 references are listed alphabetically in the bibliography section, with each citation followed by a code denoting its topical categories: (1) general "how to write," (2) "how to write" business letters, (3) stylistics,…