Recent changes in French grammatical and spelling conventions not generally known in North America are outlined, including instances of gender and number agreement, plurals of hyphenated words, articles, numerical adjectives, indefinites, verb forms, and accent marks. (MSE)

Discusses teaching vocabulary when students do not know the words nor the concepts they represent. (SRT)

A study correlating Nelson-Denny Reading Test scores with American College Testing Program Assessments (ACT) indicates that reading skill can be predicted accurately from the ACT social studies reading and English usage subtests. (MSE)

Discusses three principles germane to the idea that writing is a response to its function, compares school writing with home writing, and suggests specific functions of writing that are frequently used in classrooms. (DF)

Considers the historical background and the demographical characteristics of those residents of St. Augustine, Florida, who are descended from the city's original Spanish and Minorcan population. Included are a list and analysis of words found in the English dialect which represent the lexical vestiges of colonial Florida Spanish. (SED)

Presents results from two studies of how lower-back-pain patients communicate to health care providers. Suggests specific directions for future research. (MS)

Proposes a code for a new communication consciousness that would keep language sensitive and accountable to human experience. Focuses on mass political communication and the tendency toward systematic negative communication inherent in news pronouncements. (PD)

Discusses the problems encountered in defining a language minority. Lists four basic criteria common to all language minorities: (1) self-categorization; (2) common descent; (3) distinctive linguistic, cultural, or historical traits related to language; and (4) social organization which places the group in a minority position. (SED)

The relationship of language orientation and mental health at different levels of socioeconomic status was examined. It was found that Chicanos who incorporate behavioral aspects of American culture to the total exclusion of Mexican culture are less healthy, while those who incorporate both cultures simultaneously are psychologically healthier.…

Points out that the revolt by Wordsworth and Coleridge against neoclassic literary convention gave context to many of their ideas about discourse. Shows how their shift in attitude toward language may be the source of their greatest contribution to discourse theory. (EL)

Discusses four prevalent misconceptions about critical reading and thinking and presents classroom strategies to foster an awareness of each. (EL)

Reviews the title book and comments on Jarrell's use of language and themes, and his concern with the physical layout of the book. (EL)

The teaching of national languages in Zaire is examined, underscoring the lack of an adequate infrastructure for defining a global policy. It is suggested that such policymaking must involve the collaboration of decision makers, scholars, teachers, scientific organizations, publishers, and translators and must consider economics and existing…

Reports on a study of judges' strategies in clarifying their verbal explanations of constitutional rights to criminal defendants. Identifies six clarification processes and compares them with other studies of clarification processes and with the properties of simplified registers, particularly speech addressed to first- and second-language…

Examines the nonstandard constructions in Caipira Portuguese, a dialect spoken in southeastern Brazil, which illustrate a tendency to reduce morphological redundancy at the noun phrase level. This is accomplished by restricting plural markers to only one of the elements of the noun phrase--not the noun, as might be expected, but, rather, one its…