This document provides a description of the Teng-xian dialect of Chinese. In the introduction, the author discusses the geographical location of the dialect and its relationship to other Chinese dialects; a map is provided. Items covered in the phonological description include syllable structure, initials, finals, tones, tone sandhi, combinations…

This article outlines the history and development of the substratum theory concerning Spanish in the Americas, the basic tenet of the theory being the role of indigenous languages in phonological changes in Spanish. (CLK)

This paper discusses why different classroom techniques are needed in composition classes for teaching English to foreign speakers and to non-standard English speakers. Current pedagogical methods for teaching and testing composition for the two kinds of speakers are reviewed. Sentence combining, discourse analysis, and cloze testing are…

This paper describes the significant dialectal differences which exist between most West Indian dialects and Canadian English and outlines activities which can be used in a program for West Indian students in Canadian secondary schools. (CFM)

Because community college students have such diverse backgrounds, their English teachers must recognize, understand, and accept various dialects and simultaneously teach social values as they help students learn standard English. (Author/DC)

Examination of the West German language and society suggests that the notion that the West German indigenous working class is separated from the middle class by a linguistic barrier is invalid. (Author/CB)

Study of Danish language needs of an immigrant student leads to the assertion that concepts pertaining to first- and second-language vocabulary need revision, particularly regarding certain minority languages and certain fields, including the distinction between "active" and "passive" vocabulary and first-language and…

Enumerates the value and benefits of the black oral tradition, and describes the typical organization and identifying characteristics of American black folktales. Stresses the importance of "telling the tell," or storytelling, for children and adults to maintain family traditions and remember shared heritage. (SKC)

Summarizes 10 presentations made at the workshop on a variety of topics including: classification of Chinese dialects; the importance of semantic units in tone sandhi; insights on Chinese character recognition among brain-damaged patients; and a cognitive approach to the study of Chinese grammar. (TR)

Argues that language varieties represent an important aspect of the development of bilingualism. Analysis of migrant children's acquisition of German and their productive, reactive, and receptive competence demonstrates that children who fail in the understanding and use of language varieties often lack the necessary sociocultural knowledge.…

Reports on a study unit designed by a group of high school English teachers in the rural deep South, using Broadcast English to prepare students for job interviews. Emphasizes Broadcast English as a register to be used in certain speech situations (rather than an attempt to "fix" students' language). (SR)

Discusses and compares the syntactic features of free relative clauses found in Castilian and Aragonese dialects of Old Spanish. The role of clitics (nontonic pronominals) and the lexical innovations of the wh-question compound-type clauses are highlighted. (TR)

Measured high school students' use of Black American English (BAE) via three different data collection techniques: actual conversation, conversation simulations, and self-report questionnaires. Found significant differences in BAE usage according to type of data collection technique used. (PD)

Presents the "Englishes" of children from different social backgrounds that are reflected in the forms and functions of their individual ways of communicating. Discusses implications of these language varieties for the classroom. (HTH)