Error analysis of the informal conversations (in both the interlanguage [IL] and native language) of two native Vietnamese speakers gave limited support to the hypothesis that a universal preference for the open syllable is a shaping force in IL phonology that is independent of the process of native language transfer. (Author/CB)

Describes an approach to genre analysis that aims to complement existing descriptions of genres by focusing on semantic relationships between structural elements in texts. The article presents the theoretical background to the approach and then describes an example of its application within the context of the language-learning classroom. (45…

Examines the effects of message and program sensation value, sensation seeking, and drug use on visual attention to televised antidrug public service announcements among 18- to 22-year-olds. Indicates that program sensation value and sensation seeking are important factors in televised drug abuse prevention messages. (HB)

Conveys the power of children's questions and highlights the process of questioning in a whole-language classroom. Suggests that the role of questions in the classroom talk demonstrated to the teacher the connections and relationships between discourse content and discourse structure. (RS)

It is argued that inservice training courses for language teachers are too often based on ad hoc notions of what the teacher needs and are oriented toward the interests of course organizers and/or authorities. English-as-a-Foreign-Language teaching in Switzerland is examined, and two sections of teacher-teacher discourse are analyzed. (Contains 18…

"Analysing Genre," by Vijay K. Bhatia, is a timely addition to the literature on genre analysis in English for specific purposes. It is divided into three parts: the first provides theoretical background; the second explains how genre analysis works in different academic and professional settings; and the third exemplifies the…

Applies a Vygotskyan perspective to explain the speech activity of 16 third-year high school learners of Spanish, focusing on their talk about task, talk about talk, and use of English during a problem-solving speaking task. Findings suggest that not all speech activity between second-language learners during classroom communicative tasks is…

Provides an analysis of the syntax of Straits Salish. Main clauses consist of an initial predicate followed by a second position clitic string of inflectional elements, the subject pronoun and tense. Evidence is provided against copular verb analysis as further proof of the lack of the noun/verb distinction at the lexical level. (52 references)…

Presents a view of the relative roles of logical presupposition and shared knowledge in "it"-cleft constructions. Indicators of shared knowledge relate to a speaker's "assumptions" about the state of the hearer's knowledge, whereas presuppositions indicate a speaker's "requirements" for what should be included within…

Discusses and problematizes the kinds of "borders" that exist in the English classroom. Considers how English teachers who use computers often establish and maintain borders. Describes political boundaries associated with computer interfaces. Presents tactics for enacting a radical pedagogy of electronic borders. (HB)

The prepositional phrases used in free play discourse by 45 African American preschoolers from low-income homes were analyzed. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between amounts of African American English (AAE) form use and relational semantic complexity. No significant relationships were found between simpler…

Presents an approach to task-based second-language instruction that relies on class discussion as the departure point. After proposing that communication be viewed as the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning, classroom practices are developed that reflect all three dimensions. Four discussion questions are transformed into…

Compared clinical and psycholinguistic approaches to the measurement of verbal behavior according to their ability to discriminate among individuals with schizophrenia, manic- depression, and controls. On the linguistic measures, the speech of individuals with schizophrenia differed significantly from the other two groups in productivity and…

Discussion of postmodernism and bibliographic instruction in academic libraries is based on a prospectus for an experimental information course at Evergreen State College (Washington). Highlights include structural bibliographic instruction, including a taxonomic model; discourse analysis and bibliographic instruction; composition and…

Scientific reasoning of four elementary age students with mild mental retardation was investigated using structured interviews during tasks involving properties of air and electricity. Discourse analysis was employed to describe students' preconceptions about the natural world and how those preconceptions might be influenced by empirical evidence.…