The authors of a previous paper on aspects of generalized phrase structure grammar respond to criticism of that paper and clarify elements in the discussion. The original paper addressed the problem of expressing relevant generalizations about the order of complements that a lexical item subcategorizes for. (MSE)

This paper examines the tacit assumptions behind different theories about the nature of language and aphasia, and it discusses critically the use of structural and generative linguistic theories to explain the behavior of aphasics, especially with regard to the difference between spoken and written discourse. It is proposed that, rather than try…

Two experiments were designed to study the relative importance of various letter segments in letter recognition. One experiment was conducted with 24 subjects and the English alphabet, the other with 15 subjects and the Hebrew alphabet. In each experiment a letter was presented for identification, but was preceded by a brief presentation of either…

A study was conducted to determine the role of story grammar in children's ability to detect misplaced information in simple narratives. The subjects, 27 second grade and 25 fifth grade students, each read six stories that had been developed for the study. The stories were one-episode narratives comprised of six grammatical categories with two…

The three articles in this monograph describe and analyze the graphoneme (a closed syllable that begins with a vowel and ends with a consonant, semivowel, or silent "e") and its usefulness in the teaching of reading. The first article discusses the graphoneme concept as a systemized approach to initial reading instruction, while the…

Recent years have seen the decline in popularity of contrastive analysis (CA) and the rise of error analysis (EA) as a method for explaining and predicting errors in second language learning. In CA, it is felt that by comparing the structure of a first language (L1) to that of one being learned (L2), errors can be predicted. These errors are…

This journal for second language teachers contains seven articles. "Video in Language Teaching," by Michael Laflin, is a defense for the use of video equipment in the language classroom. In "Constructing an Index," Diane Adams-Smith and Desmond MacCullagh describe a course in medical record administration in which the students compiled a medical…

Defines curriculum along with introduction to structural thought. Reviews why the study of curriculum has been so turbulent. Describes the movement to teach structure of the disciplines during the 1960's and analyzes this time frame from the post-structual perspectives of Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. Summarizes the meaning of curriculum…

Describes rules for the use and interpretation of "verbally determinate ellipsis" involving the English verb group. Discussion covers: verbal determinacy and indeterminacy; verb group vs. verb phrase; the verb group as a five-part system; verb group echoing vs. auxiliary contrasting ellipsis; passive auxiliary; interpretation rules;…

Examination of the speech of 33 monolingual Spanish-speaking children found that syllable type affected the correct pronunciation of novel words. The different syllable types comprising the novel words could be hierarchized. Performance on syllable type appeared to be an interaction between the structure of the syllable and phonological processes…

A longitudinal study of a Japanese-speaking learner of English as a second language (ESL) analyzed the learner's article system and found that it was not target-like but also not totally random. (Author/CB)

A second language instruction technique involves having the class take apart and reconstitute a brief French poem in order to examine the constraints of versified poetry, enhancing its interpretation and appreciation. (MSE)

Offers a sampling of results achieved by Relational Grammar in exposing "hidden rules" behind various facts of Italian, major conspicuous facts as well as tiny arcane ones. (CB)

Applies general pragmatic principles to interpretations of noun phrase gaps. Argues that this approach reduces or eliminates the need for a grammatical explanation for anaphora, such as the one provided by Government and Binding theory. Examples are given from Guugu Yimidhirr, an Australian aboriginal language, and English. (Author/LMO)

Discusses the sources of information in oral language. Uses converging evidence from prosody, pausing, structural and semantic parallelism, and stylistic analysis to argue for a series of hypotheses about the units that organize the construction of narrative discourse. Provides examples and appendixes. (JD)