Responds to an article in the same journal on the rhetoric of whole language. Provides alternative readings in the defining and deconstructing of whole language, and argues that its sense will come from the points of difference rather than from the precision of final definitions. (SR)

Discusses Barrett Wendell's theory of discourse, including a critique of his definitions and an assessment of his discourse scheme. Challenges the image of Wendell as a technocrat who never rose above a consideration of style to examine more significant rhetorical issues. (MG)

Discusses the use of communication on computer networks as a data source for psychological, social, and linguistic research. Differences between computer-mediated communication and face-to-face communication are described, the Beginning Teacher Computer Network is discussed, and examples of network conversations are appended. (28 references) (LRW)

After a review of systems for analyzing classroom talk, an approach for a more refined system of classifying classroom discourse is presented based on a study of 20 final year English-as-a-Second-Language student teachers. The taxonomy of types of teacher acts may provide a diagnostic tool for teacher training. (20 references) (Author/LB)

This paper examines the nature of communication taking place between suspected victims of child abuse and adults in courtroom and investigative proceedings. It focuses on the discourse requirements of eyewitness testimony, the child's developing ability to produce the requisite discourse, autobiographical memory, sociocultural factors influencing…

Discusses importance of adults asking questions that encourage development of children's expressive language. Compared the responses of 4- to 5-year olds asked only closed questions with those of children asked verbal reflective questions in which the questioner restated part of the child's previous utterance. Found that closed questions generated…

Analysis of adult English-as-a-Second-Language students' dialogue journal communication with their native speaking teacher found that 5 of the 12 conversations analyzed were reciprocal in most of the "move" (sharing of information or opinions unknown by the other) categories, but only 4 were reciprocal in initiating solicits, and only 1 extended…

Traces the clarity of noun/pronoun referents and the use of cohesive ties in personal experience narratives told by children aged two, four, six, and nine years as well as by adults. Shows that children interrelated their sentences in similar ways as adults. Discusses implications of the study for educators. (HB)

Critiques how the Kennedy assassination is interpreted by visitors to the assassination site in Dallas, Texas. Reveals how participants at the twenty-fifth anniversary, including members of the media, used reproductions of the site to structure their experience, how they reproduced new realities of the site and the assassination, and how they…

Presents a linguistic description of the schematic organization of 40 journal articles from three academic journals in computing research. Results indicate the introduction-methods-results-discussion research reporting pattern can not be applied to computer science articles, with the central part (methods- results) departing most from the…

Discusses differences in academic discourse presentation, including preference for the use of first person singular "I" in some languages vs. the "we" perspective in others. Data are presented concerning employment of the two perspectives in English, German, French, Russian, and Bulgarian research articles in linguistics.…

Investigates effect of task type on resultant candidate discourse and input of the interlocutor. The experimental design ensured an information gap in one of the interview tasks for prospective immigrants to Australia. Findings indicate that candidate discourse differs in quantity and quality between situations when an information gap exists and…

Presents a one-class-period writing exercise (including handout) which uses a short excerpt from a 1948 book called "Making Housekeeping Easy" to teach the linking of claims to evidence as well as academic citation practices. (SR)

Investigates the patterns of intertextual linking as learners engaged in problem solving when using hypermedia. Learners were observed in their synthesized discourse in six cases using Perseus, a Greek culture database. Discusses themes that emerged from learners' on-line protocols and interactions and implications for instructional designers.…

Reports on student perceptions of classroom discourse, which includes speech between teacher and students as well as among peers. Students indicate both observations of frequency and value judgments. Responses are analyzed by their final course grade. Results are intended to guide future formal and informal observational studies on how relative…