Analyses the syntactical, semantic, and stylistic characteristics of English passive constructions and stresses the frequency of their occurrence in scientific and technical English. Recommends that for adequate mastery of this special purpose dialect, teachers make students consciously aware of these grammatical structures and of their usage.…

Provides six propositions concerning the use of vocabulary in business writing. Suggests practical exercises for teaching these propositions to business students. (RL)

Examines variations in receiver perceptions of language samples from male and female speakers from four different age groups. Characteristics analyzed include sociointellectual status, aesthetic quality, and dynamism of the speakers. (JMF)

The existence of a "literary dialect" was postulated on several grounds, and specific syntactic structures were hypothesized to be literary or nonliterary. This was tested by obtaining judgments from adults on hypothesized literary and nonliterary structures, each presented at two levels of vocabulary difficulty. (HOD)

Language samples of college- and middle-aged respondents were analyzed to determine if the language use of college students is appropriate for generalizations to other elements of the population. (PD)

Reviews theoretical models which can serve to analyze speech, especially on the level of "phonostylistics." (AM)

An analysis of the sentence structure used in radiophonic French. Since the style of language used on the radio bears such a strong influence on the evolution of the French language, it is hoped that such analyses will be used in language teaching. (Text in French.) (TL)

Examines the indirect strategies applied in the relationship between power and language, with particular reference to Eastern (Asian) verbal context. Argues that indirectness is both a form of politeness where a speaker avoids expressing himself explicitly and a style of formulating speech acts, which has an inherent pragmatic role. (32…

Videotape recordings of interaction of 42 preschool children in same-sex dyads were coded and analyzed to see how these children used the word "no" in their interactions. Results showed that, although boys and girls used the word equally frequently, they were found to use it in different ways. (Author/JL)

Discusses the role of rule in language as well as the role of the linguist in preserving and/or altering the rules. The article lists three terms and the distinctions among them emerging from Harris's viewpoint: law of nature, rule, and regularity. (14 references) (CK)

Focusing on mother-child verbal interactions in two different contexts, Estonian mothers were videotaped with their 6-year-old children during mealtime and puzzle solving and were asked to fill in a questionnaire on collectivistic attitudes. Results showed mothers' frequency in engaging children in conversation was not related to children's…

Argues that competence in academic subjects depends on mastery of their specialized patterns of language use. These patterns are described in terms of: 1) the semantics underlying Halliday's functional linguistics and 2) the structural analysis of communication genres. A sample classroom episode illustrates relationships among semantic…

Study of the pragmatics of politeness conventionally draws on conversational data, but can be extended to some genres of written text. A framework is described that analyzes politeness strategies in terms of impositions (claims and denials of claims) and reveals some stylistic features in scientific papers and in popularizations. (Author/CB)

The variety of terms used by different cultures for bathroom facilities not only illustrates the problems language poses for travelers but also opens a discussion of the distinction between linguistic borrowing and etymology. (MSE)