An eight-month longitudinal study measuring infants' (N=8) temperament characteristics of activity level, task persistence, and affect and discourse and pragmatic features of their mothers' speech revealed complex interactions between maternal speech and infant temperament. It is argued that nonlinguistic child behaviors may influence maternal…

The alternating and mixed use of Swedish and Finnish and special trade slang in three relatively small firms (employing a total of 678 employees, 40 percent of whom were Swedish-speaking, 56 percent Finnish-speaking, and 4 percent bilingual) in the bilingual city of Vasa, Finland was analyzed. (CB)

Subtechnical vocabulary includes items that are neither highly technical nor obviously general, and rhetorical/organizational items are in this category. They serve to signal the writer's intentions or his/her evaluation of the material presented. A technique for identifying subtechnical items is explained. Three identified items are analyzed, and…

Reconstructs the process through which a student becomes familiar with new subject matters and unfamiliar rhetorical and linguistic conventions. Describes one writer's attempt to achieve "specialized disciplinary literacy." Suggests the writer must be able to integrate his/her knowledge of appropriate discourse conventions with a…

Examines the metaphors used by two teachers when they speak about their professional work. Describes the major metaphorical figures found in the language of each teacher (e.g., lessons as moving objects, time and attention as commodities, control as something exerted from above), and examines ways in which these are conceptually related. (JG)

Suggests that speech act theory can help researchers and teachers in professional communication to define indirectness more precisely and to determine when it is appropriate and can provide them with a means of analyzing texts and refining rhetorical principles. (ARH)

Identifies indicators of register or style in selected portions of two lectures presented in American Sign Language, and in the interpretations of each made by two interpreters. The indicators used are speaking rate, pausing, syntax, intonation, and lexical choice. Transcripts of data are included in Appendix. (Author/LMO)

Presents an analysis of some aspects of conversational phonology by examining the general phonetic resources that are used by speakers of Tyneside (a nonstandard variety of English). This phonological analysis of the interaction of turn-completion takes into account pitch, loudness, and tempo, as well as segmental features. (TR)

Pursues the argument that grammar teaching in a second-year university degree French course should be in line with the functional/notional communicative aims of the "Lyon a la une" project. Discusses the study of the pragmatic dimension of language as an essential prerequisite to the functional skills fostered by the project. (SED)

Describes and examines the word choice and frequency in six tests and raises questions about the use of word lists and controlled vocabulary in producing basal readers, judging and manipulating readability of texts, and building vocabulary. (HOD)

An ethnographic study examined slang as spoken on campuses of two universities in the United States, one on the West Coast and one in the Midwest. Subjects were students from Intercultural Communication classes, who served as participant/observers and data gatherers. Subjects were instructed to collect slang terms that they heard on campus and,…

Research is reviewed which is related to everyday language experiences of children. Particular emphasis is given to the ways caregivers and teachers can use these research findings to help children understand and use language effectively in a variety of situations, especially those involving learning. (MP)

Discusses psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic questions relevant to the development of language programs for foreigners, such as student motivation, language aptitude, learning styles, cultural differences, language styles, and communicative competence. Focuses particularly on the cultural problems faced by a foreigner, as a student, client, and…

Repudiates the theory that black dialect has African origins. Supports the British Isles influence theory. (FL)

Outlines a method for classroom presentation of model dialogues which uses the problem-solving approach to stimulate students' awareness and production of functional elements suited to a variety of attitudes and situations. Gives examples illustrating classroom activities designed for each phase of the teaching-learning process. (MES)