This article is derived from a lecture broadcast on the BBC World Service, in which the author takes the reader on a journey to visit selected features of contemporary English in use, with the intent of pointing out to the traveler some implications for the presentation of language in textbooks and other curriculum documents. (nine references)…

Patterns of use of the French particles "bon, (eh) ben, and enfin" were analyzed in a corpus of spontaneous multispeaker conversation. Results show that each particle marks a particular type of discontinuity in the discourse. Turn-initial and turn-medial patterns are described for each. (17 references) (Author/MSE)

This study analyzed dialogs between 10 mothers and their children, ages 12-14, who were normally hearing or orally communicating deaf. Adolescents who were deaf displayed similar turn-taking skills to the normally hearing adolescents. Mothers of deaf adolescents did not dominate the conversation. (Author/SW)

Investigates the consequences of a contemporary natural experiment forced upon a lawyer who suffered a massive stroke and severe aphasia, losing almost completely the ability to speak meaningful language. With the help of therapists, he learned to speak three words. The author investigates how such coconstruction is accomplished. (41 references)…

This study investigated whether undergraduate non-native speakers of English had difficulties comprehending information in a science lecture whose discourse organization went beyond a basic problem-solution structure. It found that the comprehension difficulties of the non-native speakers were also found among many of the native speakers. (25…

Presents a model of the speaker's sociopsychological motivations when he engages in code-switching (CS). The use of CS can be interpreted as a marked or an unmarked choice of discourse mode. (38 references) (Author/CK)

Examines a passage describing an encounter between the missionary, Saint Constantine-Cyril, and a pagan in the land of the Khazars. The main focus of the saint's discourse emphasized that without inventing the Slavic alphabet, he would have had no hope of success as a missionary. (24 references) (CK)

Discusses the use of English loanwords in Japanese discourse from a cognitive perspective and reveals how the world knowledge of English loanwords is applied to a text and constitutes an integral component of the discourse production process both within and beyond the sentence level. (40 references) (MDM)

Examines 39 speeches from the Democratic and Republican national conventions (1972-1992) for discussion of women's issues, women's roles, and men's roles. Concludes that when politicians spoke of women's concerns, they largely ignored actual issues, and instead focused their attention on women's roles in society. (SR)

Presents the idea that the central link between science and society is established by a diffusion of knowledge. Suggests knowledge transfers may be analyzed in a metaphorical context and that a metaphorical analysis should be combined with discourse analysis and central concepts of evolutionary theory. (50 references) (Author/AEF)

Examined repetition in expository essays written by 24 college-level nonnative speakers (NNSs) and 16 native speakers (NSs) of English. A qualitative comparison of three essays from each group showed that NNSs did not match their degree of repetition to the development of the argument structure of the text in the same way as NSs. (contains 31…

Briefly reviews current knowledge about the nature of limits of intersubjectivity (ability to acquire and manage representations of self and other through social experience) in autistic children. Describes an observational study of verbal autistic children indicating the presence of intersubjectivity, but with little of the verbal social…

Examines the widely held assumption that a language interview is a structured conversational exchange. Specifically, the structural organization of 20 audio- and videotaped oral-skills course placement interviews were analyzed for features of conversation and interviews by using conversation analysis techniques. (40 references) (VWL)

An examination of the planned and unplanned production of 24 nonnative-speaking teaching assistants indicates that there is a greater difference between the 2 conditions in the degree of discourse marking than in grammatical accuracy. Findings suggest that explicit marking is a crucial element in the comprehensibility of nonnative-speaker…

Considers the applicability of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (which focus on language and the social organization of linguistic interchange) to the study of education, children's techniques of communication, socialization processes, and classroom communication. (DMM)