Discusses controversy between transitional versus maintenance bilingual education programs in Spanish. Claims policy of static maintenance cannot find support in a view of linguistic competence that considers language development to be complete by adolescence and the same among individuals. Suggests developing students' home language or abandoning…

Examines bilingual education policy in the United States claiming that the intertwining of policy positions, personal values, and social science in writings of proponents of bilingual education has not always regarded criticism in the fairest of lights. Suggests greater examination of implementation of cultural pluralism policy and role of…

Examines three broad functions that underlie all use of language--language for learning (language as a representation of the world), language for living, and language for linking (connected discourse in context). Considers teacher knowledge of these language functions essential if the teachers are to guide student language acquisition. (RL)

The use of language in television commercials to promote products and the use of deceptive language in commercials addressing young children are discussed. (JD)

Suggests that "inappropriate" uses of language should be defined as those uses that contribute to misinterpretation, obscurity, and deception. (DD)

Proposes the theory that the "semantic fluidity" of legal terminology, far from being an obstacle to the carrying out of the law, is essential to the functioning of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in a cost-effective manner. (AM)

Gives examples of the interference of legal English on legal French, particularly in translation and business administration. (AM)

Examines the language, structure, and imagery of the World Wide Web. Argues that the Web is not just a rich source of information but offers new ways of seeing and engaging with the world. Considers the nature of electronically mediated texts. Looks at the Web as a kind of metatext itself with mythopoeic resonances. (PA)

Discusses the increasing presence of technology in social life and its effects on the educational processes. Presents research results about cognitive abilities and the "audiovisual language" typical of the younger generations. Discusses how to adapt the practice of education to these new requirements or necessities of the children who…

Justification offered by Steven Pinker for his theory that thought is independent of language, and that thought is couched in some silent medium of the brain ("Mentalese"), is outlined step by step and critiqued. It is argued that the theory ignores deep technical issues and is not explanatory. (MSE)

States that metaphors/analogies can be helpful when people have to learn to use something. Examines computer software manual material language. Finds that expressions suggesting that computers have an affective relationship to the user or communicate their intentions through human language appear to be perceived as anthropomorphistic and might…

Four experiments investigated whether 9-month-olds could use the presence of labels to help them establish a representation of two distinct objects in a complex object individuation task. Found that the presence of two distinct labels facilitated object individuation, but presence of one label for both objects, two distinct tones, two distinct…

A study investigated the extent of anglicization of Solomon Islands Pijin, the primary language for Honiara, the nation's capital. It was found that the influence of English was not related to the creolization of Pijin but rather to the bilingualism of the speakers of Pijin and to their high degree of fluency and contact with English. (Author/CB)

In the first of six articles about the links between cultural and linguistic traits, the ways in which French linguistic structures and imagination create a culture are explored. (MSE)