Responds to Allison's (1996) defense of pragmatism, arguing that it is necessary to distinguish between "vulgar" and "critical" pragmatism and showing how various "discourses of neutrality" help construct English for academic purposes (EAP) as a neutral enterprise. Some of the directions in which a critical approach to EAP might proceed are…

Attributed stages of generic structure to eight language testing interviews of adult students of English as a Second Language on the basis of apparent interviewer purpose, an attribution justified by the distribution of speech function types and mood choices between them. The study adopted the intermediate level of transaction in analyzing the…

Focuses on the evolution of research traditions dedicated to the empirical study of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) use for teaching English as a Second Language. (99 references) (CK)

Demonstrates how the teacher can use texts to confront learners with cultural representations. Four texts are used to represent a literary extract, a student essay, an advertising document, and a newspaper article. The article illustrates approaches that borrow from stylistics, linguistics, and discourse analysis. (21 references) (Author/CK)

Analyzes the narrative, descriptive, and evaluative structures of one person's two stories, drawn from oral proficiency interviews, about the same event told at the intermediate high and advanced levels on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scale. The discourse analysis revealed that the second story builds upon the…

Focuses on personal pronouns in business discourse, using data from four business meetings: formal and informal, in Dutch and in Italian. The article focuses on the pronouns "I" and "we," commenting on the frequency of Dutch inclusive "we," absent from the Italian data. The article also discusses indexical and…

Examines politeness strategies used in intellectual discourse, concentrating on reference forms in various languages and in particular on the phenomena of power and solidarity displayed through the use of pronouns. The article identifies the differences and potential source of interferences in the domain of reference forms. (27 references)…

A discourse technique, re-framing a dispute in terms favorable to the speaker, is discussed as it has implications for lawyering and legal education. Literature on this approach to argument is reviewed, addressing such issues as constructive and destructive forms and avoidance of confrontation; and several discourse models are outlined. The…

Examines the effect of categorial nonequivalence on language mixture in two corpora of spontaneous bilingual speech--Wolof-French and Fongbe-French--exhibiting different typological contrasts in adjectival modification structures. (47 references) (Author/CK)

Argues that hedging devices are a major pragmatic feature of effective scientific writing, and that students of English for special purposes should be taught to recognize and use them in their own work. The article examines the frequency, functions, and realizations of hedges and discusses a range of strategies for familiarizing students with…

Combines sociological and discourse analytic viewpoints in order to explore how central aspects of academic cultures are produced and reproduced in texts. Focuses on the scientific knowledge claim and demonstrates how the expression of claims provides a link between the structure of disciplinary culture and the particular forms of language that…

Presents a validation study on the Hausa Speaking Test (HAST), a simulated oral proficiency interview. Addressed validity of the HaST through examination of the ratability on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scale of elicited speech sample and an investigation of the nature of probes on the HaST through speaking…

Focuses on the contrasting discourse practices and occupational cultures of engineers and marketing representatives. The article argues that strong occupational cultures have different value systems and discourse practices. The article stresses the need for an interdisciplinary approach combining linguistic and cultural analyses to reduce…

Explores the insights gained, methods used, and constraints faced in using a development discourse in Nepal. Discusses how literacy classes, funding proposals, or student writing can provide new development dimensions in training and planning. Argues that educational planning and policy needs to be recognized and analyzed through focused…

Sought evidence for or against the assumption that significant intercultural variation exists in the rhetorical preferences of national cultures through contrastive analysis of research articles in English (n=36) and Spanish (n=36) on business and economics written by native speakers of each language. (45 references) (Author/CK)