The relationship between written language, spoken language and the development of reading skills is discussed. (Text is in French.) (PMP)

The evolution of the Spanish language is due, in part, to popular culture and radio, television, films and advertising. Many words take on altered meaning when used in casual, intimate or slangy conversation; included is a list of such words with their informal connotations, as used by many Mexicans. (Text is in Spanish.) (CK)

Independence and the related concepts of freedom and autonomy are key terms in philosophy of education. Teacher educators are keen on independence, but seem to hold different definitions of the concept, and these various definitions do not co-exist happily. The relative autonomy that one may be able to achieve is not to be had unless one…

Intended to introduce students to the most dynamic aspects of language and to help them see the metaphors of poetry from a perspective beyond poetry, this book offers background information for class discussion on the pervasiveness of metaphors, giving examples of how metaphors underlie folk expressions, proverbs, riddles, cliches, and slang, and…

"Correct English," published continuously between 1899 and 1950, was dedicated to the preservation of "proper" English usage. Josephine Turck Baker, editor and founder, understood that conventions of grammar arose from usage. It was her opinion that correctness was determined by clarity, not by the rules of Latin syntax. Thus,…

Epistemic rhetoric, as a monolithic view of language use, will not be much help in forging a useful and consistent definition of the composing process and an accompanying effective pedagogy. By rejecting the mimetic functions of language--and thereby the validity of any empiricism and its derivative, positivism--epistemic rhetoric banishes items…

A study of the limits of native speakers' awareness of, and ability to express, the dimensions of his language for the researcher investigates this hypothesis: that the ease or difficulty of a native speaker's characterization of the use of the forms of his own language depends on certain general semiotic properties of the use in question.…

Because speaking was a major symbolic focus of 17th century Quakerism, a movement of radical puritanism, and distinctive ways of speaking represented the principal visible means by which the Quakers differentiated themselves from others, much of the religious and political conflict surrounding Quakerism implicated speaking in some way. One aspect…

A discussion of approaches for teaching foreign language vocabulary is based on the distinction between "declarative knowledge" of the meanings of words and the procedures used for achieving this declarative knowledge. These procedures form part of individuals' knowledge of how to negotiate meaning. It is proposed that a communicative view of the…

Like the language of any group in American society that struggles for an identity, the language or dialects used by women in higher education, must be studied, researched, and represented within the curriculum, notably within the literary curriculum. A group's behavior, and often its self-esteem, is expressed within the constraints of the group's…

The language journal can be an effective aid for teaching students to be aware of and sensitive to language. Students write down any observations that interest them about the language they hear or read in everyday life, together with their speculations on the causes of such language. The journal is devoted specifically to language because an…

In order to compare how healthy and troubled corporations communicate with their shareholders, a study examined the narrative of the 1982 annual report of 50 of America's best-run corporations (as compiled by Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman for their book, "In Search of Excellence"). The focus was on the letter to the stockholders--the…

Fallacies are defined as incorrect patterns of reasoning, and can be classified into two chief classes--formal fallacies, which involve violation of a rule, and informal fallacies, such as hasty generalizations or arguing from ignorance. Inspired by George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language" and his book "1984,"…

This study assessed the role of frequency of input in the acquisition of the present perfect by Scottish and American children. Two questions were addressed: Do adults speaking Scottish English use the present perfect more frequently in speech to children than those speaking American English? If there is a difference in the frequency of input, how…

The status and future of bureaucratic language is explored and four specific issues are addressed: (1) the characteristics of bureaucratic writing; (2) how it developed and what keeps it from changing; (3) where pressures for change come from; and (4) what can be done to foster greater literacy in bureaucratic writing among both writers and users…