Language interference (which was originally posited in ESL theory) involves ways in which language learners draw upon previous language experiences to fill holes in their knowledge of a second language they are learning. Since the 1970s, language interference has been a part of the pedagogy of basic writing, concerning itself with ways that basic…

Pragmatic epistemology of focal teacher thinking appears tightly shaped by modular connections between task domains and pragmatic organizers. Discussions with a group of language teachers identified four domains of tasks: (1) oral activities; (2) writing activities; (3) reading activities; and (4) language technique activities (grammar, spelling).…

Extracts from financial reports broadcast on two British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio channels are analyzed for cognitive structures that affect the conceptual organization of this discourse type. The approach used for the analysis is based on two assumptions in the relationship of communication and cognition. These are: (1) financial…

This study investigates the validity of second language vocabulary tests, and whether or not test scores accurately reflect the quality of language behavior in real-life situations. It attempts to prove the validity of vocabulary testing by comparing test scores to indices of vocabulary richness in second language production. The student subjects…

The basic premise of this paper is that second language learning or teaching is an exercise in contrastive linguistics because learners filter and assimilate the second language through the categories and experiences represented by the first language to create situationally appropriate utterances. By selecting and exchanging information,…

Corazon Aquino's appearance before the U.S. Congress provides an opportunity for the rhetorical critic to study (1) how the form of speech--particularly the romantic form--enabled Aquino to establish the legitimacy of her claims as President of the Philippines; (2) how she used her role as Benigno Aquino's widow to complete the romantic myth; and…

A study of the use of interactive discourse in the second language classroom begins with a discussion of the regulation of discourse, examines the use of scenarios for the promotion of interactive discourse, and provides evidence from classroom use of the effectiveness of this technique. Three types of discourse control are noted: object…

A study examined student-teacher writing conferences in a ninth grade English class to uncover what significance this form of instruction has both as a collaborative methodology and as a factor in individualizing the process of learning to write in the secondary school. Subjects included a successful ninth grade English teacher at a public high…

The language separation approach to bilingual teaching is compared to three kinds of language alternation approaches, "flipflopping,""concurrent translation," and the "New Concurrent Approach" (NCA). The approaches are categorized as conventional, unstructured, and structured, respectively. The effectiveness of the NCA is compared favorably to the…

As part of a study of the language used to conduct daily business in typical West German classroom situations, 30 native English speakers observed selected classroom interactions and used questionnaires to classify them and paraphrase them in English. The observers were from a variety of English-speaking countries, and some had explicitly…

A discussion of the two predominant theories of power (the juridical-liberal and the Marxist theories) notes the limitations of the two theories, the historical reasons for their common grounding of the analysis of power in terms of repression/sovereignty, and why the theory of sovereignty persisted as an ideology and organizing principle of all…

This paper focuses on a language variation model that incorporates a number of concepts from linguistic and rhetorical studies. The model views language variation as a product of two correlating causes: one, the user and his or her personal, regional, and social dialect; and the other, the user's use of the language in terms of such discourse…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 9 titles deal with the following topic: (1) the implications of Foucault's archeological theory of discourse for contemporary rhetorical theory and criticism, (2) isolating the behavioral correlates of deception, (3) the…

Presuming that rhetorical discourse comes into existence as a response to a situation in the same sense that an answer comes into existence in response to a question, or a solution in response to a problem, then Mexico is fertile ground for rhetoric and the study of rhetoric. Mexico is a country under fire. Economic and political problems threaten…

Research in the Teaching of English (RTE) is the flagship research journal of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in the United States. It is a broad-based, multidisciplinary journal composed of original research articles and short scholarly essays on a wide range of topics significant to those concerned with the teaching and…