Describes recent efforts that have been made to overcome barriers to the successful implementation of sociolinguistics in early education, barriers involving acceptance of research by the schools, attitude and teaching method changes by teachers, and the needs of the children themselves. (DS)

Imposition of English in Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula (Australia) schools led to the development of Torres Strait Creole (TSC), now widely spoken. Common formal errors that TSC-speaking students make in written English are described and related to linguistic transfer. Cultural vocabulary, core cultural values reflected in TSC, and the…

This book defines and reviews five central problems in the study of second language acquisition (SLA): (subconscious) transfer, staged development, cross-learner systematicity, incompleteness, and variability. The central thesis of the text is that linguistic knowledge is an autonomous component of SLA, distinct from the socially determined use of…

Three questions in the application of native-language sociolinguistic theories to second language contexts are addressed: (1) Is transfer always a psycholinguistic process of interlingual overgeneralization? (2) Does attention to speech underlie all style shifting? (3) Is H. Giles' Speech Accommodation Theory adequate to explain all purposeful…

Historical, political, and sociolinguistic aspects of the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Puerto Rico are examined. It is suggested that the apparent failure of ESL instruction is in reality a motivated failure: a society's successful resolution of a conflict between government planning for bilingualism and social pressure for…

An approach to English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teaching that helps students prepare for intercultural communication is described, drawing on the literature of second language learning and intercultural communication. First, potential barriers to intercultural understanding are examined, including the culture-bound nature of communication,…

A list of linguistics-related holdings in the Middlebury College (Vermont) library is presented as an example of a well-developed library collection for an undergraduate linguistics program. The materials are listed under 10 headings corresponding to the best-represented subareas in the collection: linguistics, semantics, grammar (comparative and…

Presents a series of 10 true-false statements pertaining to dialect, then discusses the correct answers. (FL)

A classroom model is offered for an approach to introducing students to Spanish linguistics by way of the geography and history of Hispanic society. Areas covered include Spanish vocabulary, Spanish sounds, word and sentence formation, and linguistic lore. (24 references) (LB)

Examines the revision process, begun in 1973, that created the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, published in 1990. Stresses the importance of accurate reflection of ancient texts in contemporary yet enduring language. Notes the ecumenical nature of the committee responsible for this revision. Provides an annotated list of Bible…

Emphasizing a sociocultural view, this book encourages language teachers to broaden their views of the English language arts curriculum, and thereby increase students' opportunities to examine a broader array of language elements (semantics, regional and social variations, discourse conventions). The first section of the book describes what…

Reports on an attempt to alter both the students' and the teacher's concepts of the teacher as "one who teaches" and the student as "one who is taught." Methods are described for developing student self-esteem and self-reliance through group interaction and group cooperation. Interpersonal communication skills are developed in this manner.…

Suggestions are offered to practitioners on how to consider situational variables in the assessment and remediation of childhood language disorders. Eight sociolinguistic principles, derived from research on normally developing children, are presented. Among the principles are those which state that sociocultural patterns may vary as a function of…

To investigate the speech of black college students for nonfluencies--linguistic elements breaking the flow of words or ideas--and to ascertain if students' attendance of a largely black or largely white university influenced their use of nonfluencies, 21 black students at a predominantly black university and 25 black students at a predominantly…

This paper suggests classroom activities to develop awareness of language and the sociolinguistic aspects of language proficiency and to help eliminate language prejudice. The exercises are presented in seven categories: (1) examination of connotative and denotative language, names and nicknames; (2) dialects and slang and the status attached to…