Current work in American dialectology is summarized and commented on. (Available from: See FL 508 214.) (RM)

The following aspects of syntax in Indian English are examined: complex sentence formation, interrogative transformation, verb forms, and complementation. It is argued that a set of syntactic rules exists in all non-native second language varieties of English that will generate the non-stylistic deviant patterns discussed. (KM)

It is proposed that a European variety of English without native speakers is emerging as a language of international communication in Europe. This is a consequence of many factors, including the strength of the American economy, the breadth and depth of American research in science and technology, the pervasive influence of American-style popular…

As the field of sociolinguistics has emerged, its terminology, which like many other emerging disciplines contains many neologisms and new usages, has sometimes been called insensitive. This reaction may interfere with serious examination of the field's content. Areas of disagreement or dispute include terms used for the speech of black…

An examination of some surface differences between quantifier phrases (QP) in standard Italian, Genoese dialect, and French is reported. The analysis makes specific reference to the distribution of empty noun phrase and adjectival phrase categories in SpecN, and uses the concept of inflectional rules. Although details have not yet been worked out,…

By some standards, Brazil would be considered linguistically homogeneous because more than 85 percent of the population speaks Portuguese, but this view does not account for the multitude of dialects and Indian languages spoken there or for the German-speaking or other bilingual groups in the country. In addition, little information is available…

A study analyzed how freshman composition students handled an assignment that forced them to perform an act of sophisticated literacy which was a variation between spontaneity (present) and repetition (past) with a focus on how novice writers borrow language, whether through quotation or misquotation. The assignment involved two masterpieces of…

The role and use of Spanish in the geographic areas outside of the U.S. Southwest are examined in a collection of 16 conference papers. The papers address the general topics of language contact, linguistic variation, sociolinguistic factors, and language maintenance policy, and planning. Among the specific issues discussed are: a dialectology of…

The Mhong Language Council's 1982 conference had as its objectives: (1) a compromise spelling system to accommodate both White and Blue Mhong pronunciation; (2) simplification of the current Mhong spelling system; (3) review of approaches to the expression of foreign concepts in Mhong; and (4) adoption of capitalization and punctuation conventions…

Explores the possible origins of Malacca Creole Portuguese, and compares and contrasts Papia Kristang with other related creoles. (AM)

The distinction between the clitics "le" and "lo" is different for Peninsular Spanish than for Latin American Spanish but is in both cases systematic. The division in Castilian Spanish is along the line of animate-inanimate. The Latin American division is between accusative and dative case. (TL)

Choice of language style depends on personality, society and culture, or in another view, on personal needs, immediate situation and background situation. Some of the literature on this subject is reviewed. Available from Instituut voor Toegepaste Linguistiek, Vesaliusstraat 2, B. 3000 Leuven, Belgium. (TL)

A discussion of language judgments, particularly negative judgments of nonstandard variations of English, and the "errors" of speakers of English as a second language. (RM)

The dialects of Mandekan, a language spoken widely in West Africa, are described. The information was collected for the benefit of students of the languages, developers of texts in any of the dialects, and researchers in Mandekan-speaking areas. A phonetic grid of vowels, consonants, and tone establishes a broad system of symbols for transcription…

One way to alleviate the hostile feelings of students whose dialects or idiolects interfere with their writing of Edited American English is to spend class time studying the differences between written and spoken English and examining the reasons such differences exist. The concept of a "grapholect," a national written language used by speakers of…