Direct quotation can be a source of meaning in storybook texts for beginning readers. The author of this article sketches the linguistic complexity of direct quotation and offers instructional strategies. Three aspects of direct quotation are examined: the cluster of print features and syntactic characteristics that direct quotation involves, the…

A brief reading of "Desire under the Elms" by Eugene O'Neill illustrates how a conventional Oedipal reading of the playscript opens up spaces within the text for deconstructive free-play. In this case, a tension is identified and foregrounded between this conventional application of the Oedipal complex and Freud's interpretation of the…

This paper advances the bio-kinetic hypothesis that the Agent-action-Objective (AaO) axiom constitutes the only valid foundation for a behavioral expression of the informational dimensions contained in natural language. Based on the bookkeeping capacity of the discovered AaO mechanism, it is shown that this mechanism can capture emergent (AaO)…

Examines the effects of coherence and relevance on shallow and deeper text processing, testing the hypothesis that enhancing the relevance of text segments compensates for breaks in local and global coherence. Results reveal that breaks in local coherence had no effect on any outcome measures, whereas relevance enhanced deeper processing.…

Focusing on law school texts, reviews literature on the readability of texts and on the limitations of human cognition. The discussion includes a brief history of applicable design principles, a description of empirical studies supporting them, a discussion of the advantages of structured text, and an analysis of some implications of these design…

Presents evidence that indicates recognition memory consists of three separate representations: a surface representation, a propositional textbase, and a situation model. (KEH)

Explores the relation of word and image on the level of both theory and practice in Edward Tufte's "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information." Establishes two dissonant strands in Tufte's work, a positivist strand and a postmodernist strand. (RS)

Questions the conventional assumption that reference books should simply be regarded as objective containers of information, and argues that personal style is sometimes an important element in the evaluation of reference books and that subjectivity and expressions of feeling may be as valuable as objectivity, detachment, and impersonality. (23…

Investigates the influence of metaphors on text processing. Varies the degree of explicitness provided between a metaphor and new information. Finds that metaphors increase learning of the idea units strongly related to the metaphors, and thus can be used to increase learning of particular material in text. (SR)

A study of linguistic stylistics examines the play's coherence by focusing on the relationship of speech exchanges to frames and the relationship of frames to one another. Frame analysis is seen to provide a clearer understanding of textual coherence in dramatic texts. (15 references) (Author/LB)

Finds that subjects rating their impressions of authors of bureaucratic and simple writing rated the author of the bureaucratic style higher in expertise but not significantly different from the author of the simple style in trustworthiness and open-mindedness. Shows that subjects consistently preferred the simple to the bureaucratic writing. (SR)

Weighs the costs and benefits of various strategies for converting existing, formatted text into Standard General Markup Language tagged files for all types of source materials. Illustrates the challenge of converting the implicit structure of tables and other common document features. Gives tips for creating a conversion plan. (SR)

Presents four interstitials, each followed by a contour on understanding the nature of and relationships among different media: the book, electronic text, and hypertext. (NH)

Explores children's working knowledge of narrative, scientific, and poetic genres. Finds that children had significantly more experience with narrative genres than either scientific or poetic genres; and possessed more knowledge of text structure than micro-level features such as cohesion markers. Contributes to theorizing genre learning as a…

Describes the Lexile Framework(R), which enables teachers to develop personalized instruction based on Lexile measures of reading ability and Lexiled reading lists. The Lexile Framework is based on the entire book, with individual reading ability measured by tests that measure on the same scale on which the books are measured. As an open standard,…