Outlines Willard Van Orman Quine's theory of language in the generation of empirical knowledge, gleaned from two works from his voluminous ouvre. Draws connections between Quine's theory and that of Richard Rorty, the American pragmatist philosopher. Sketches how this theoretical perspective can be applied in the technical communication classroom…

Suggests adolescent second language speakers of English can better understand the second culture as embedded in the language, and feel more comfortable with expressing their sense of self through language, by discussing language and its use in the contexts of literary texts. Examines elements of the interface between language, culture, and…

Discusses a study of selected morphological features of the two surviving manuscripts of Lazamon's "Brut." The text, which is one of the main sources of evidence as far as Early Middle English is concerned, had been the subject of scholarly interest. Compares the strong verb system and personal pronoun usage in the two manuscripts based…

Discusses the advantages of using situation comedies to teach pragmatic language usage in a second or foreign language. Gives advice on how to choose and use sitcoms and provides a sample lesson plan. (Author/VWL)

Among Gaelic-English bilinguals in East Sunderland, Scotland, code choice is made according to interlocutor. When the chosen code is Gaelic, the community norm for rendering direct quotations within a narrative is to produce them in Gaelic, regardless of which language was used originally or whether the quoted person is capable of speaking Gaelic.…

A survey of 368 immigrant Chinese high school students in Toronto found that English language use was positively related to father's education, prior experience in Canada, and cultural and personal reasons for emigration, and negatively related to residence in the downtown Toronto area and age at emigration. (Contains 26 references.) (SV)

Reports on the clarity rating of Chinese, English, and "Chinglish" (Chinese words translated into English) mathematical words. The inherent compound word structure of the Chinese language seems well suited to portray mathematical ideas. Examines the relations among the clarity of Chinese mathematical terms, U.S. urban junior high school students'…

Imitation offers a gateway to relationship. This paper seeks to explore that capacity by describing the therapeutic approach of "Intensive Interaction". The research literature on imitation contains relatively little about imitation used in an intervention capacity, concentrating instead on the emergence of imitative abilities during infant and…

This autobiographical case study of two scientists involved in earlier studies documents a profile of each scientist. These profiles were used to develop semi-structured interview protocols and email surveys for each scientist. The central issues of these data collections were whether these modern, evaluativist scientists believe that the…

When physical education teachers provide skill cues, they do so with the intention of focusing children's attention on a particular aspect of the motor skill to be performed. Rarely do physical education teachers notice if their cue was provided to the student in figurative or literal language. This article explains the types of figurative…

A funny thing happened in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on the way to passing a $46 million school bond during the 2000-01 school year. Through the use of a scientific telephone survey, school district officials determined residents were more than happy to upgrade their school libraries, but were significantly more tight-fisted when it came to improving…

This article discusses how to work with a child who uses inappropriate language. The words inappropriately used by young children are grouped into five categories: (1) names of body parts considered as private, and their nicknames; (2) bathroom words and body products; (3) religion-related words; (4) sexually charged words overheard when adults…

The rhetorical training of students at East Texas Normal College is examined with reference to the rhetorical practices and educational ideologies of William Mayo, the experiences of his students and the features of his teaching. Examination of the history of schools like East Texas Normal College helps in dealing with concerns regarding…

The force of the grammar-rhetoric-composition program at the Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, a sixteenth-century institution of higher education for sons of the indigenous elite located in one of two large barrios in the valley of Mexico, is measured. Tlaltelolco is a composition-rhetoric site designed for those perceived as needing…

In recent years the idea of Aboriginal nationalism has been creeping into public language in Canada through the widespread use of the term "First Nation." The idea that Aboriginal peoples are "Nations," not just "cultures," has also begun to influence the Canadian government, the courts, and the study of law and political science. The principle…