In an investigation into communicative behavior, Filipino-American students were studied during two student organization meetings and through subsequent surveys of their backgrounds and sense of ethnicity. Focus is on the communicative norms, notably the constant simultaneous talk. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/LB)

Uses examples of conversation drawn from a mediation session to show how intentions, as discursive formations, are central not only to both narrative structure and interaction sequences but to the politics of subject position in discourse as well. Discusses the management of subject position in terms of critical coherence points. (SR)

Finds no significant effects of an instructional intervention on students' persuasive writing at two grade levels (third and fifth). Determines the categories and types of written persuasion used by students at four grade levels (third, fifth, 10th, and 12th). (SR)

Investigates the double compound that is a feature of the regional French of the langue d'oc and franco-provencal areas. Analysis suggests that, in addition to the temporal and aspectual properties traditionally attributed to this form, the expressive properties of the surcompose regional are central to any description of its function in…

Illuminates Kenneth Burke's characteristics of a mystical rhetoric as they issue from "purpose" as a dominant dramatistic element. Offers a case study in mystical rhetoric by identifying the essential qualities of a mystical narrative and demonstrating how these qualities operate in Chiara Lubich's 1977 Templeton Prize Acceptance Speech.…

Outlines a model of the speech act of apologizing that ranges apologies along a continuum from the most situational to the most personal. Analyzes 252 occurrences of apologies in 62 telephone interviews. Shows how most apologies are functions of discourse task management tactics. (HB)

Linguistic consequences of literacy in Somalia are examined in a review of the literature and through a study of five dimensions of variation among Somali registers and the expansion of linguistic variation in Somali resulting from the introduction of written registers. (36 references) (LB)

Discusses the use of discourse analysis by language learners for speaking and listening instruction. Techniques and activities that make students active participants in language learning, by producing and analyzing their own language data and becoming conscious of language production skills are described. Brief annotated and unannotated…

Discusses the rhetorical method of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Argues that it must be extended in some fundamental ways if educators want to apply his model of rhetoric. Suggests that a truly pragmatic rhetoric must bear some similarity to the method of Wittgenstein's later philosophy. (MG)

Examines forms and functions of English in Indonesia. Although English is not a dominant code of discourse, it influences Indonesian language use, particularly through lexico-semantic and pragmatic contributions to Bahasa Indonesia, the widely spoken national language. It is concluded that English should be classified as an additional rather than…

The discourse of Singaporean "English-knowing bilinguals" is examined using a new model, "expanding triangles," which involves an increasing English-speaking base population and two distinctive English speech clines. It is suggested that the expanding triangles concept allows better comprehension of the otherwise haphazard and infinite array of…

Explores the relationship between linguistic and conceptual structuring of narratives, focusing on linguistic devices used by German and U.S. narrators to identify transitions in text structure. Identifies and outlines two types of narrative orientation: differentiating events and integrating events. (SR)

Issues in computerized analysis of language usage are discussed, focusing on the problems encountered as computers, linguistics, and language teaching converge. The tools of automated language and error analysis are outlined and specific problems are illustrated in several types of classroom exercise. (MSE)

The explicit theoretical frame in which topic transitions have been described and the types of transitions are discussed, based on a study of 12 physician-patient encounters. Reciprocal and unilateral activities are identified that relate to allocation of power. (34 references) (Author/LB)

Examined discourse styles of mothers and fathers when talking separately with their three year olds about shared events. Found two distinct narrative styles, neither of which was associated with parent gender. Parents of daughters were generally more elaborative than parents of sons, and daughters participated in the conversations to a greater…