A technique for illustrating to foreign language students how diversity can exist within a given culture uses taped interviews on a specific topic with different individuals. Students have a chance to analyze sociocultural patterns and make linguistic comparisons and generalizations. (MSE)

The potential classroom uses of the foreign language dictionary as a cultural object and source of information about language usage, cultural perceptions, and documentation of attitudes are explored. (MSE)

Argues against overemphasizing clarity in the research and teaching of organizational communication because clarity and openness are neither the norm nor sensible standards to gauge communication competence or organizational effectiveness. Defines strategic ambiguity and explores its use in organizations to accomplish goals. Presents suggestions…

Explores the extent to which young children differentiate between story and report and how these differences manifest themselves in the structures they produce when they read and write. (FL)

Discusses the value of invented spelling as a means of encouraging young children to begin writing. Cites many examples of invented spelling. (FL)

Poses and answers several questions parents and teachers have about the value of invented spelling. (FL)

Major background sociocultural factors in the revival of Hebrew as Israel's vernacular during the period 1890-1916 are examined. These include communicative, national-political, and religioeducational factors leading to an unprecedented community acceptance of an unfamiliar spoken language and its use by new generations of native speakers. (MSE)

Test results for final-year French students in Canadian universities show they have not mastered the gender of some of the most frequent French nouns. Two recommendations are to continue to seek simplification of the learning of gender and to require students to use the full range of syntactic transformations. (MSE)

Describes one approach to discovering what language is needed for entry-level jobs. By observing language use in two health care occupations, it was found that seeking clarification, reporting problems, understanding imperatives and numbers, and being able to socialize are fundamental to most entry-level jobs. (SED)

This study (1) demonstrates the negative impact of profanity in a public speech and (2) sheds light on the conceptualization of the term "rating error." Implications for classroom teaching are discussed. (PD)

Presents an experimental approach to the linguistic analysis of discourse organization. (FL)

mparison of sign language used by Urubu-Kaapor Indians in the Amazonian jungle (UKSL) and sign language used by deaf people in Sao Paulo (SPSL). In the former situation, deaf people are more integrated and accepted into their community than in Sao Paulo, because most hearing individuals are able and willing to use sign language to communicate with…

Discusses how visual perception may be adapted for language teaching purposes. Since the study of language is not restricted to the verbal domain, a language teaching strategy involving visual aids enables the learner to communicate both actively and passively in a foreign language, thus contributing to an understanding of language and…

This article describes the use of role playing in adult education for improving the communication skills of native French-speaking adults. (Text is in French.) (CLK)

The conventions of TV comedy, particularly in the two-man comedy team, have a role to play in the teaching of English as a foreign language. They offer situations where the normal language is both natural and repetitive, and where emotional states common to interpersonal communication can be exemplified. (Author/CFM)