Proposes that code switching (CS) and code mixing are natural phenomena that may result in increased competency in various communicative contexts. Both assets and deficits of CS are analyzed, and an ethnographic approach to the variable underlying CS is recommended. (32 references) (Author/VWL)

Two experiments compared signed and written stories by deaf 7- to 15-year-olds with oral and written stories by hearing age-mates. Found that the signed and oral stories had similar discourse structures as indicated by patterns of causal goal-action-outcome episodes. The grammatical and lexical character of deaf students' written stories lagged…

Demonstrates that the comprehension of law report discourse in newspapers in England is particularly difficult for the non-expert reader. Comparative discourse analysis of the way a particular case is reported in various newspapers shows that the discourse structure of the newspaper law report is not adequately signalled by the linguistic…

Describes a study conducted to test the hypothesis that focused conversations with native speakers held on a weekly basis will contribute to the development of learners' internal grammars of Spanish. This study centered on college students as they developed an appreciation of the different contexts requiring the preterite or the imperfect tense…

Reflects on ideas of feminism and critical literacy and their significance in relation to the current policy environment. Topics explored include the dilemmas of personal development; issues of culture, power, and coercion; shifting the focus to teaching; personal and pedagogical influences; pedagogical praxis; and developing a collective…

The Verbal Interaction Analysis System (VIAS) was applied to interaction between high school students and adult confederates. The VIAS successfully discriminated between two groups of verbally skilled students (n=8) and less skilled students (n=8). When these adolescent-adult interactions were conceptualized as interviews rather than conversations…

Compared the discourse of 33 college learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) on topics related to their major field of study and on general topics. Results suggest that text construction is facilitated by learners' expertise and investment in the topic of conversation. (contains 40 references) (MDM)

A study investigated proverbial reference in the language of three Chinese graduate students literate in English, contrasting rhetorical use and its contribution to cohesion. Subjects referred to Chinese proverbs frequently, even though they did not help convey meaning well in English, because of emphasis placed on their use in Chinese writing.…

Li's work, which expands the government binding (GB) literature on Chinese linguistics and contributes to understanding constituency and word order, is described. Important issues are noted, empirical or theory-neutral criticisms of Li's accounts are raised, and alternative solutions are offered. (21 references) (LB)

In describing the different types of codeswitching used in Dakar, this paper questions the frequent assumption that the use of two languages within a single conversation violates a norm. In Dakar there is a fluid and unmarked switching between Wolof and French, "Urban Wolof," that has become the most common mode of speech among urban…

A study analyzed four major classes of discourse marker in Brazilian Portuguese: "ne" and other requests for feedback; "ai," a sequential connector; "ah, bom," and other turn initiators; and "assim," a marker of explanation. Distribution in various discourse functions and sociodemographic conditioning, and…

Examines how one teacher's way of knowing mathematics was reflected in language used in teaching concepts of rate to one student. The teacher's conceptualizations of rate were encapsulated in the language of numbers and operations which undermined his effort to help the student understand rates conceptually. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/MKR)

A study tested responses of 201 upper division business students to 8 graduate business school recruitment ads with similar content but written in different styles. Results suggest that certain styles, independently and in combination, do affect perceptions on lower-order dimensions (ad interest, appeal, believability, clarity) but not broader…

Recent composition and literary theory suggests that the "I" of written discourse is illusory and does not represent an autonomous self. Argues for the development of a self-conscious voice in college writers that interprets in addition to merely recording events, a voice enabling students to enter into dialogue with teachers, texts, and…

Describes a year-long study in a whole-language classroom of second-grade students' use of gendered language during informal interactions in writers' workshop. Points out the importance of intent in the process of communication. (SR)