Paralleling and reflecting the many recent changes in national life have been corresponding developments in the American language. As new concerns and problems have arisen, new vocabularies have come into being. Countless new words and novel expressions as well as new meanings and uses for established words have been created. This collection…

This document is intended to provide information about the legal aspects of bilingual education through a general discussion of the problem, as well as through the presentation of laws and other legal documents concerned with the language of education in the schools. Part I, "Introductory Remarks," identifies the two traditions of…

To determine whether or not students in grades 2 and 4 comprehended materials written with patterns that appear frequently in their speech better than materials written with patterns that appear infrequently, two reading comprehension tests were devised by the investigator. Subjects were all second- and fourth-grade classrooms from two similar…

Too often the dialect of the teacher or the student, or both, creates interferences which hinder the educational process. By being aware of potential problems in pronunciation, lexicon, and syntax, the teacher can explain or avoid language interferences. Furthermore, the teacher can consciously help the student avoid pejorative connotations some…

In response to a study group concerned with the spoken word and the integrity of English instruction, Walter Loban traces speech and its development, examines oral language proficiency, discusses one study of oral language, discusses language and social class and language and learning, and concludes by commenting on the neglect speech instruction…

Concerned with language as a form of social experience, this book considers language, English in particular, as an element in the pattern of daily life, as a form of contract between individuals and society, as the object and instrument of social judgments, as a historical testament to the continuity of human culture, and as the medium of literary…

The development of children's humor is described, focusing on the cognitive aspect of what is funny and how this relates to children's intellectual growth. Cognitive elements that facilitate children's humor are identified as: (1) the ability to grasp incongruities, (2) the presence of an intellectual challenge, (3) timing, (4) novelty, and (5) a…

This collection of essays is concerned with the relationships between language and education. It is intended to be used in an undergraduate course but may also be used by many others interested in language in an educational context. A variety of approaches to the subject are considered, including the philosophical, psychological, sociological,…

This book is an introduction to linguistics, written for the beginning student. Among the topics explored are speculations about the origins of language, its nature, how it grows, and how it changes. Other topics include what is essential in the structure of language, the similarities and differences among languages, how the varying patterns of…

The study elicited stereotypes of female and male speech behavior. The results give strong evidence that the speech of females and the speech of males, as perceived by women and by men, do not have the same subject matter, or the same manner of delivery. Of the 51 speech characteristics considered by the participants, 36 were rated as…

Discusses the many uses of the honorific title of "Don" in Spanish literature and Spanish colloquial speech. It may be used to joke and express irony, as in the expression "don ladron" (sir thief), and forms part of many idiomatic expressions. (Text is in Spanish.) (TL)

Detailed sources of information on the various motivations of learners of English help the course planner to develop materials which are directed towards the particular needs of the learners. Studies of language use in Uganda and Jordan are used as examples of source materials for planning language study. (SW)

Suggests that a career in communication necessitates a strong personal commitment because communication professionals deal in human choices. Illustrates language-choice interaction by examining the rhetoric of those who have confronted difficult choices, including Ben Franklin, Abe Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and Ms. Waterbury. (MH)

Within the framework of modern language teaching objectives, an inventory is presented of various socio-cultural activities in which written communication plays a key role. Writing is typed according to the situation. The status of written language is assessed from the aspect of multilingualism and of diglossia. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

Observations on the situation of Provencal based on a study of inhabitants of a small town in Provence. A situation leading to abandonment of a language is described. It is indicated that the dissociation of all defining elements of a language corresponds to the process of abandonment of the language. (AMH)