An examination of native and non-native speakers'use of zero anaphora in English production found a similar general discourse function across the groups, although the English was frequently ungrammatical by prescriptive standards. There were important quantitative and structural differences between speaker groups in use of the device. (Author/CB)

Investigates the use of preposition and subject with the infinitive, a construction not usually mentioned in Spanish grammar books. This construction is as commonplace in some regions as it is unacceptable in others, a situation giving rise to controversy. Some linguists believe that this construction is more prevalent among less-educated people.…

Although Spanish mood has been taught through a framework of categorical rules, recently attempts have been made to clarify the exact nature of certain rules and to better understand the patterns of rule variability that exist outside the classroom. This article examines the intersection of mood with notions such as habituality, general truths,…

Examines the distribution of clause types in ancient Greek during the Homeric (pre-800 B.C.) and Hellenistic (ca. 100 A.D.) periods, as well as an intermediate period (ca. 450 B.C.), delineating the evolution from a subject-object-verb (SOV) to a subject-verb-object (SVO) structure. (49 references) (MDM)

Presents a model of the speaker's sociopsychological motivations when he engages in code-switching (CS). The use of CS can be interpreted as a marked or an unmarked choice of discourse mode. (38 references) (Author/CK)

Describes syntactic variation in West African English with examples from West African English literature and identifies and describes subjectless sentences, deletion of the -ly morpheme in manner adjuncts, omission of function words, reduplication, tag questions, substitution of prepositions in idiomatic usage, and focus constructions. (53…

Examined the language attitudes of Pakistani journalists, teachers, and university students between 1987 and 1992, finding that although the British model of English still has considerable influence in the former colony, a Pakistani norm is beginning to emerge and become more acceptable. (22 references) (MDM)

Two surveys of Parisian French mid-vowel articulation and preference, performed in 1986 and 1988, are reviewed and compared. Informants were 21 male teacher trainees (study 1) and 60 male local transportation workers, aged 20 to 60 (study 2). Conclusions are drawn concerning mid-vowel opposition, anteriorization, and vowel harmony. Emphasis is…

Suggests that by analyzing the slang and the modifications of English used on computers today, teachers and students stand to learn more about standard English. Examines the literary origins from which many computer words are taken. Explains alternate spellings, acronyms, metaphors, and use of brand names. (TB)

The growing secularization of Israeli lifestyle and the increasing influence of foreign languages as manifested in the local media have given rise to new forms of language secularization. This article discusses and provides examples of the secularization of Hebrew, which has split modern Hebrew into two varieties--religious and secularized. (13…

Traces the development of English in the Commonwealth from colonial times to the present, examines the use of local varieties by English-medium African writers and discusses the conflicting roles of English. English is seen as answering the need for an official language that is also a language of wider communication. (20 references) (JL)

It is proposed that the study of the history of the French language would be enhanced by combining the methodology of linguistics with that of history proper, examining institutional, cultural, and social history as part of the evolution of a language. Distinctions between variation, innovation, shift, and change are examined. (Author/MSE)

Language choice (LC) for literacy must consider mother tongue, language of first sight, local lingua francas, and any readily accessible world language. Common but false assumptions regarding LC are noted: multilingualism as a barrier to development, the necessity of a world language, and the permanance of language patterns. (Contains four…

Examines linguistic data from peripheral areas of Mexico and suggests that the contemporary resistance of the final /s/ in Spanish is characteristic only of urban regions. The study also hypothesizes that Spanish final /s/ was once more generally weakened throughout Mexico. An indirect Nahuatl contribution is also postulated. (62 references)…

Investigated phonetic activation in reading a nonalphabetic script (Chinese) of 16 subjects who read in Cantonese and Mandarin and 16 subjects who read in Mandarin but not in Cantonese. Results are provided of a similarity judgment task based on pairs of Chinese words, pronounced the same or differently, in one or both dialects. (21 references)…