Finds developmental changes in both cohesive harmony and holistic writing quality in the writing of first graders, suggesting that cohesive harmony may be a sensitive measure of textual quality. Finds no consistent relationship between measures of cohesive ties and cohesive harmony. Suggests that cohesive harmony is a viable tool for discourse…

Argues that the only way creative and intellectual work in cultural studies of education can matter is if practitioners reconnect with cultural studies' activist work, noting historical moments, major texts, theoretical orientations, and research methodologies that allow educational researchers to take seriously social inequalities and their…

Describes briefly the author's research (contributing to scholarship on successful language practices in organizations) examining the conflicts, and specifically the discursive methods of solving these conflicts, faced by individuals within an organization as they negotiate competing demands. Offers a new tool (called Bracketing, Ranking, and…

Analyzes an annual executive letter written by the director of a small New Zealand business which focuses on problems. Shows how these problems serve three functions: to distract attention from more serious issues, to undermine the credibility of potential challengers, and to provide a context in which the writer can present himself and company…

Investigates the way in which 13 Hong Kong research students metatext to orient and guide their readers through their Ph.D. theses. Using a corpus of over 3000 pages and 0.6 million words, this article proposes that the level of metatextual references can be determined by their scope and by the distance over which they operate. (Author/VWL)

Describes an investigation of students' problem-solving strategies as seventh-grade students (n=10) attempted to design a solution to a technological problem. Concludes that novice designers use highly iterative rather than linear strategies, develop their ideas using three-dimensional materials rather than two-dimensional sketches, and develop…

Introduces the Knowledge Digraph Contribution (KDC) data-analysis methodology for quantitatively measuring the degree to which a given knowledge digraph can account for the occurrence of specific sequences of propositions in recall, summarization, talk-aloud and question-answering protocol data. Notes the applicability of this approach to the…

Illustrates use of Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) for predicting coherence through reanalyzing two studies that manipulated coherence of texts and assessed readers' comprehension. Finds that LSA predicts effects of text coherence on comprehension. Notes that LSA can be applied as an automated method that produces coherence predictions similar to…

Argues that researchers in the area of discourse comprehension and mental representation of discourse will likely feel motivated to adopt highly quantitative research techniques described in the articles in this special issue. Notes that ability to do so will be enhanced by availability of well-documented, easy-to-use computer software, or…

Presents 10 children's books that are particularly rich for analytical classroom discussions. Considers how studying literary theory is a way of becoming more aware of how people read and interpret what they read. Concludes that these books are good reading and good vehicles for introducing critical theories. (SC)

Explores the existence of multiple realities and the role they play in the social construction of suspected child abuse. Explores how the aesthetic experience acts to resolve the stress created by living a fractured state between the naturalized inclination and the simulation. Examines two narratives of former teachers relating an encounter with a…

Examines the realization of accent in Indian English (IE) compared to American English produced by teaching assistants in similar contexts. In teaching discourse, a lexically accented syllable is often realized in IE with a relative drop in frequency and without a reliable increase in amplitude. (Author/VWL)

Drawing on a database of over 300 interactions collected in a range of New Zealand professional workplaces, this article identifies some potentially problematic areas for those who are expected to communicate in English at work when English is not their first language. Discussion focuses on small talk and social talk in the workplace. (Author/VWL)

Discusses one form of repetition found in ordinary conversation, a form where a speaker produces a first saying, and subsequent to that, a second saying within the same turn. Proposes that this particular form of repetition is used by speakers as a storytelling technique in the accomplishment of the action of resumption. (Author/VWL)

Specific diphthongs were produced by four individuals from the coastal southern dialect region who were selected from among those who had successfully completed an accent-reduction program. Results showed that diphthongs used in Southern English were shorter and had less noticeable transitional elements than those in Standard American English.…