Critical evaluation of Leila Berg's book on Risinghill, a controversial London secondary school, suggests that her depiction of the headteacher's struggle against the London County Council emphasizes a deprivationist discourse that distorts the reality of the school and its neighborhood. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

Responds to an article that suggested Lardiere (1998a) should have carried out analyses of lexical aspect and discourse grounding in determining obligatory contexts for past tense marking. Addresses problems with the argument, while showing such analyses could introduce a comparative fallacy problem. (VWL)

Finds that applying what students read to their lives and to the world around them works with the author's students. Notes that the short story is ideally suited to this endeavor for a number of reasons: because it is short, efficient, and because the short story more readily bears a second reading, which in most cases is a necessity for deeper…

Focuses on the legacy of paradigmatics instruction in the Greek mathematics classroom, suggesting that it is based on false understanding of pragmatic logic as simply the translation of ideas into action. Offers discursive analysis of two short interactional sequences between the teacher and children in a 6th grade classroom in a primary school in…

Focuses attention on the potential strengths and weaknesses of "vernacular" studies within the sub-field of legal rhetoric in order to defend contentions about some of the silences and articulations that are involved in modern rhetorical criticism. Defends the heuristic importance of vernacular legal theory for future judicial…

In gatekeeping interviews, candidates must rely on narrative strategies to demonstrate their suitability for a position. This includes the ability to project in their accounts "an institutional self." Compares native and nonnative English-speaking candidates and considers how culturally based differences in communicative background affect the…

Increasingly, literary critics and scientists say the goals, practice, and results of science are affected by cultural forces, seen in literature and in the language used in scientific discourse. The Society for Literature and Science attracts interdisciplinary scholars attempting to synthesize literary and scientific knowledge and theory. (MSE)

Describes a nontraditional discourse forum, computer-based conferences, in which students hold written conversations to discuss readings, debate issues, share frustrations, and try to become comfortable with the ideas presented in the classroom. Argues that these computer conferences are powerful learning forums for students because they encourage…

Object deletion in Classical Arabic is semantically marked on two levels: ( 1) dropping the object deliberately but functionally; and (2) emptying the object slot and focusing on the verbal action. The second level of object deletion stresses the verbal action. (20 references) (GLR)

Text typologies, such as that of Jean-Michel Adam, that distinguish between narrative, descriptive, explanatory, injunctive, argumentative, and poetic texts offer promising possibilities for instruction of French as a second or foreign language. A number of diverse texts illustrate the potential for study of communicative, lexical, and syntactic…

Examines reports written in mental health hospitals and community mental health centers. Analyzes a total of 150 randomly selected samples of 5 basic mental health records, and evaluates the rhetorical contexts for each with regard to author, purpose, audience and use. (KEH)

Analyzes a real-life writing session involving a male executive in the construction business, his female secretary, and a male representing himself as a state official, working collaboratively to write a letter to a state official urging action on a long overdue claim. Discusses the quality of the drafts and the participants' roles. (KEH)

Reviews recent articles focusing on the controversy surrounding the appropriateness of readability formulas for technical writing. Suggests that further research should be conducted to study empirically how readability as a concept might be used to aid the technical writer since readability formulas are shaping computerized editing programs. (KEH)

Provides an overview of recent advances in the study of the psychology of question answering, with particular emphasis on the ability to answer questions about coherent spoken and written messages. Examines the components of question answering, employing strategies, memory search, and comparison operations. (SR)

Argues against both overly broad and excessively narrow definitions for the term "technical writing." Suggests that a definition would be useful for clarifying the bounds of technical writing. Argues, however, that it is better to keep the field intact with experience-based ideas of what technical writing encompasses. (SG)