Analyzes the word order characteristics of "hentai Kambun, the archaic Japanese writing styles employed for recording Japanese in a way that outwardly resembles Chinese. Proposes that hentai kambun word order can receive a systematic account by assuming that Japanese has underlying head-initial word-order, and that it is a representation of this…

Investigates whether the spoken nature of electronic mail messages has already started to affect business written communication. Examines register and context of the language as well as the style used in commercial electronic mail. (Author/VWL)

This dissertation reports development and validation studies of a Web-based standardized test of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL), designed to measure learners' off-line grammatical and pragmatic knowledge in multiple-choice format. Targeting Japanese majors in the U.S. universities and colleges, the test is designed to explore possible…

The classroom practices discussed in "Effective Second Language Writing" reflect various trends and methodologies; however, the underlying theme in this volume of the Classroom Practice Series is the need for clear and meaningful communication between ESL writers and their readers. While approaches differ, two core beliefs are constant: ESL…

This paper explores how the discourse of history "works" in the context of Malaysian junior-secondary education. Using the tools of systemic functional linguistics, a representative selection of school texts is deconstructed. By focusing on the intimate relationship between ideology, context, and text, characteristic purposes and their…

The subject and the object are more strategically assigned than some might readily assume, both as people speak and as they live them. Subjectivity is associated with doing, hence responsibility, and therefore it noticeably slides in matters of credit and blame, with issues like Newton's or LaPlace's discovery. In scientific papers the subject has…

Author presented his interpretations of the derivation of different words as an added incentive for teachers interested in the meanderings of language. (Author/RK)

A survey of 59 Mexican American students revealed that more than twice as many used "usted" to parents than "tu." There may be a shift occurring, however, to more prevalent use of the familiar. (CK)

A greater understanding of psychological treatment can be achieved through an analysis of the language used by those participating in such treatment. Several conceptual aids are needed: (1) a theory about how language conveys meaning; (2) a model of language in psychological treatment; (3) reliable units of measure; and (4) since psychological…

Pragmatics is the theory of utterance interpretation, as contrasted with sentence interpretation, involving a variety of tasks: disambiguation, reference assignment, resolution of vaguenesses or indeterminacies, restoration of missing or ellipsed material, and recovery of the speaker's attitude and the effects of stylistic variation. The most…

Discusses the use of split infinitives in written language and suggests a compromise rule. (RB)

This volume opens with an examination of the decay that the English language has suffered over the past century and explains the origin and remedy of its two chief menaces: ambiguity and cacophony. The second part of the book illustrates the manner in which speakers and writers misuse language. Chapters include "The Prodigal…

Percentages of unexpected pronominal usage in Japanese are listed. Data was gathered from Japanese magazine articles concerning individuals. Tendencies rather than strict rules became evident. (SC)

The characteristics of academic writing are examined in this paper, and some remedies are suggested for correcting the "language deformities" that many academic writers persist in creating. Three categories of error to which academic writers are apt to be susceptible are discussed. The first category covers errors that are shortcomings…

In fast speech, certain segments pronounced in careful speech may be deleted. Rules of a generative phonology have been used to account for fast speech forms. An alternative approach is suggested which views fast speech deletions as merely limiting cases of segment reduction, under conditions of increased tempo and/or casualness. To complement…