Presents a language approach to outgroup homogeneity and discrimination between gender groups. Finds outgroup discrimination was confined to female respondents; outgroup discrimination resulted more from repetition of biased statements than from differential abstraction; and discrimination was strongest for topics for which the most distinctive…

A description and analysis of domain theory is outlined and evaluated to highlight the difficulties of using domain theory as a basis for research into variability in interlanguage. (34 references) (VWL)

Discussion of discourse modeling in artificial intelligence and computational linguistics focuses on a dialog model that incorporates the illocutionary aspects of information-seeking dialogs. The relevance of a theory developed for the analysis of written texts--Rhetorical Structure Theory--is explained, and future work is discussed. (25…

Outlines a model of classroom discourse analysis that provides evidence with which to establish the operation of two discourses. A secondary purpose is to demonstrate how the method of analysis can expose some significant limitations in much educational practice and to point to ways of addressing those limitations. (32 references) (VWL)

Studies the role of four rhetorical elements in generating shared meaning in two different samples of public relations writing. Finds that narratives were particularly important because they provided a comprehensive, compelling framework for belief and thus contributed greatly to the shared meaning created by writers and readers. (SR)

Explores the Indian variety of English from the point of view of the discoursal strategies speakers adopt in verbal interaction. In particular, the paper examines how discoursal markers function in the Indian English conversational context. (29 references) (GLR)

Argues that organizations routinely engage in values advocacy (the appeal to shared cultural values) to perform three distinct functions: (1) to enhance the organization's image; (2) to deflect criticism of the organization and/or its policies, products, and services; and (3) to establish value premises that can be used in later discourse. (SR)

Describes research on the rhetoric of mine disasters, analyzing discourse among government agencies, Congress, unions, operators, and lobbyists. Offers rhetorical, technical, and ethical analyses of the technical documents resulting from mine disasters. (SR)

Addresses the argument that access to Universal Grammar in second-language acquisition implies an asymmetrical knowledge of ungrammaticality. The author attempts to prove that the asymmetry position is conceptually defective and that the evidence for it is inconclusive, inappropriate, and contradicted by other data. (12 references) (Author/CK)

Reviews studies and tests that show how discourse analysis has contributed to the theory, research, and development of language testing, covering the relations among discourse analysis and competence and testing theory; research on language tests and tasks; and task development. A 60-citation unannotated bibliography is included. (CB)

How young children portray themselves in relation to others was examined in naturally occurring stories of personal experience told jointly with family members. The study of 2.5- to 5-year-old culturally diverse children supported developmental theorists' claims about the relational nature of self-development when connected discourse is taken as…

Asserts that the act of writing can create surprising, experimental, supple forms of written discourse. Argues for exploring more mobile, heteroglot, polyphonic forms of writing. Suggests that attempting roles that produce fragmentary texts might lead toward approaching the challenges of composing unified texts from a more enlivening perspective.…

Describes several distinctive discourse features of typical information books written for young children by comparing them to book language in typical storybooks. Analyzes four kindergartners' repeated "pretend readings" of three typical information books to reveal the strategies by which these children learn the characteristic…

Two series of experiments investigate two hypotheses that may explain a conflict regarding pronomial reference. The hypothesis accepted is that the use of the gender cue is under the reader's strategic control; the hypothesis rejected is that implicit causality and gender cue interact differently with the complexity of the inference needed to link…

Three experiments are reported on the interpretation of conceptual anaphors, defined as those that do not have an explicit linguistic antecedent but one constructed from text. Two experiments showed that conceptual anaphors are quite easily understood but are processed with difficulty; the third one showed mixed results. (three references)…