In order to develop language awareness and critical thinking skills, an introductory writing course was taught at the community college level in three phases. First, the subjectivity of perceived reality and language choice was demonstrated through use of photographs, prose, and poetry. The second phase dealt with the role of language in defining…

The principal purpose of this publication is to present a selected review and synthesis of the literature on the reading process. Section one describes an overview of the reading process. Various models of reading acquisition and their implications for reading are presented in section two. Section three considers a number of practical elements…

An inquiry into how language functions in the life of a bilingual minority group in process of cultural change, this study investigated the acculturation and assimilation of individuals of Mexican descent living in Tucson, Arizona. Specifically, the language usage and interpersonal relations of individuals from representative families in the…

This paper surveys the teaching of second languages in Irish primary and post-primary schools. In the centralized primary school system, with primary teacher-training directed towards state-controlled qualifying examinations, government policy now favors the teaching of Irish side by side with English (also an official language). With the…

In discussing the rich linguistic history of Afro-Americans, the author points out that black people had a linguistic system when they came to the New World and frequently had a knowledge of a form of English which had been influenced by Black Portuguese and West African languages. Despite many assertions to the contrary, Black English, "the…

Discussed are ways to develop language communication skills in preschool children attending a child care center. Examples of communication without words such as animal sounds and actions are given. Babies are seen to learn to talk through the aid of a mother and child care worker who decipher the signals and encourage babbling in infants and…

A variety of contributors explore the implications and the historical background of the future of literacy. We have inherited a belief that a vital literary tradition can uphold humane values, but events of twentieth century history have completely undermined faith in literacy as a stronghold of humanism. George Steiner suggests that literature is…

"Weasel words"--newly minted phrases and words or novel interpretations of old words which may be "intentional slants, distortions, and outright coinages inspired by a purpose of profit, propaganda, or, at the very least, personal or institutional prestige" are exposed as they appear in the language of violence, dissent, the right, the left, the…

This article criticizes a resolution drafted by the Executive Committee of the Conference on College Composition and Communication. It argues that the framers of the resolution create misleading impressions about the sociolinguistic situation in the U.S. (Author/AM)

This paper discusses some of the psychological and social problems that the average Jamaican immigrant faces in a society such as Canada. The focus of the discussion is on the problems that have a direct or indirect relationship to the language system of this particular group. (Author/AM)

This paper suggests that bilingualism can increase the child's metalinguistic awareness and promote an analytic orientation to linguistic input. (Author/AM)

Explores the approach to reading which emphasizes reading within a total language context and concludes that teacher training should stress awareness of the child's general language situation and should discourage reliance on word-skill material. (JM)

The 1977 Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages is reported on here. Propositions dealt with were language acquisition, language application, and language appreciation. Several speeches are summarized and awards noted. New officers were named. (CHK)

After a definition of terms, a dialectological and sociolinguistic review of linguistic minorities existing in Italy is made. Geographic aspects of distribution and retrogression of regional speech and use of Italian by minorities form the basis for differentiating degrees of deculturization. The role of linguistic and other minorities is studied.…

This article shows that the language situation in Quebec cannot be characterized as a diglossic one (as defined by Ferguson) because of the links existing between Standard Canadian French and "joual." Due to political factors, Quebec is moving toward a mixed standard language. (Text is in French.) (CDSH/CLK)