Comparison of two fourth-grade spelling classes (one for hearing-impaired students and the other a general education class under consideration as a mainstream placement) revealed significant differences in interactional behaviors across physical, instructional, and social contexts. The hearing-impaired class was characterized by routinized…

Comments on how language should be taught, language as an evolving medium, and the purpose of language to express meaning. Notes limitations of the Minimum Competency Test and mentions how adoption of Paideia Proposal suggestions might affect language study. (MH)

A study investigated gender differences in language use in electronic mail discussion groups. A review of research on discourse analysis identifies areas in which gender differences are found in interpersonal interaction and language use in general, and how these reflect differences in socialization. Research on electronic discussion groups…

This book reports dispassionately on what has been happening in both the theory and practice of translation and interpreting, and introduces students and teachers of translation to the intricacies of the process and the diverse demands of the profession. The book is divided into four sections and 15 chapters. Section 1, "Translation Studies:…

A study investigated the extent to which American learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) are able to distinguish polite Japanese speech, and the effect of instruction on this skill. Specifically, it looked at performance on a midterm listening comprehension question in which students listened to self-introductory speeches of three job…

Black English is adequate for speakers within the black community: adding a second dialect, standard English, opens new roles with the larger society. The teacher can encourage or discourage such change depending on his relations with students and the community. (JM)

Among other findings, results of this study strongly indicate that (1) males and females differ in their communication behavior in initial interaction depending on whom they are talking to; and (2) a unique pattern of female interaction does exist which is different from interaction in dyads of other sex composition. (PD)

A study of how employers responded to the language usage and language abilities of job applicants revealed that employers tended to favor males over females and persons using standard spoken usage over persons using nonstandard dialects. (RL)

Shows that the analysis of verbs in short stories is a valuable teaching method for synthesizing studies of grammar and literature. (RL)

Analyzes the discussions of participants at a company-faculty forum on energy policy. Reveals the speakers' use and misuse of contradictory rhetoric--the simultaneous appeal to emotions and to reason. (RL)

Discusses stylistic variation in communication, the elements involved (participants, contact, message, context, and code), and ways in which to incorporate the knowledge of this process in second language instruction. (AM)

Describes the functional/notional approach to language instruction, discussing key features, misconceptions, and practical applications of the model. (AM)

It was hypothesized that distinctive verbal processing styles would be characteristic of different social classes and different sexes, and that these differences could be largely explained by earlier socialization experiences. (BW)

Lakota Indians use five speaking styles--formal and informal Lakota and three types of nonstandard English. Choice of style is determined by the social context and the individuals. Since the styles are used to meet specific linguistic and social needs, they are likely to be maintained simultaneously. (PMJ)

Describes an assignment designed to dispel prospective English teachers' dichotomous ideas about language ("right" or "wrong"); gain a sense that more than one dialect could be accepted; and understand that the variations from the handbook rules ("errors") might even be rhetorically based. (TB)