Concerned with language as a form of social experience, this book considers language, English in particular, as an element in the pattern of daily life, as a form of contract between individuals and society, as the object and instrument of social judgments, as a historical testament to the continuity of human culture, and as the medium of literary…

The development of children's humor is described, focusing on the cognitive aspect of what is funny and how this relates to children's intellectual growth. Cognitive elements that facilitate children's humor are identified as: (1) the ability to grasp incongruities, (2) the presence of an intellectual challenge, (3) timing, (4) novelty, and (5) a…

This collection of essays is concerned with the relationships between language and education. It is intended to be used in an undergraduate course but may also be used by many others interested in language in an educational context. A variety of approaches to the subject are considered, including the philosophical, psychological, sociological,…

This book is an introduction to linguistics, written for the beginning student. Among the topics explored are speculations about the origins of language, its nature, how it grows, and how it changes. Other topics include what is essential in the structure of language, the similarities and differences among languages, how the varying patterns of…

The study elicited stereotypes of female and male speech behavior. The results give strong evidence that the speech of females and the speech of males, as perceived by women and by men, do not have the same subject matter, or the same manner of delivery. Of the 51 speech characteristics considered by the participants, 36 were rated as…

Discusses the many uses of the honorific title of "Don" in Spanish literature and Spanish colloquial speech. It may be used to joke and express irony, as in the expression "don ladron" (sir thief), and forms part of many idiomatic expressions. (Text is in Spanish.) (TL)

Detailed sources of information on the various motivations of learners of English help the course planner to develop materials which are directed towards the particular needs of the learners. Studies of language use in Uganda and Jordan are used as examples of source materials for planning language study. (SW)

Suggests that a career in communication necessitates a strong personal commitment because communication professionals deal in human choices. Illustrates language-choice interaction by examining the rhetoric of those who have confronted difficult choices, including Ben Franklin, Abe Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and Ms. Waterbury. (MH)

Within the framework of modern language teaching objectives, an inventory is presented of various socio-cultural activities in which written communication plays a key role. Writing is typed according to the situation. The status of written language is assessed from the aspect of multilingualism and of diglossia. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

Observations on the situation of Provencal based on a study of inhabitants of a small town in Provence. A situation leading to abandonment of a language is described. It is indicated that the dissociation of all defining elements of a language corresponds to the process of abandonment of the language. (AMH)

The comparison of the two sub-nations, the language community of the Flemings and the racial group of American negroes suggest a number of hypothesis concerning the changes that occur as upward mobility becomes easier for members of a subordinate ethnic group. (Author/AM)

A sociological critique of language which substitutes the notion of acceptability for grammaticallity; the analogy of symbolic force for communication; the question of the value and power of discourse for meaning; and "symbolic capital," inseparable from the social position of the interlocuter, for purely linguistic competence. (Text is in…

An introduction to this issue of "Langue Francaise," on the relationship between linguistics, sociolinguistics and sociology. An overview is presented of the research methodology of each of these sciences, the contributions of generative grammar, and the point of view of the linguist, sociolinguist and grammarian. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

The different concepts underlying the terms "foreign language,""second language," and "native language" are examined in the context of social change that blurs cultural delineations. The implications for language instruction in a variety of contexts and with a variety of objectives are discussed. (MSE)

Points out that if students are to learn to negotiate meaning, they must have opportunities to use a balanced combination of informational, expressive, and interactional language. Describes three teaching strategies which are important in nurturing a range of language in the drama classroom: questioning, reflecting, and teacher in role. (ARH)