With the mention of "sustainability" and "recycling," most people think about reusing paper, plastic, metal, and glass, but what the authors discovered when they embarked on a word-study unit is that the sustainability movement has also brought about the recycling of words. The authors were team-teaching a language awareness class taken by…

Drawing attention to widespread instances of discourteous speech and hate discourse that permeate US and world culture, Alleen Pace Nilsen maintains that our imperative as educators is to teach "students the benefits of being civil to each other." She proposes some avenues for enriching students' understanding of the power of civil…

Describes the best young adult novels of 1993. Outlines the contents of the books and evaluates the books as suitable for middle and high school readers. (HB)

Describes the kinds of books that adolescents tend to choose to read on their own, including the influence of series books on the genre. Lists positive and negative aspects of series book publishing. Argues for teachers to stay up to date in adolescent literature. (HB)

Examines the nature of humor and jokes. Considers the benefits of humor in public moments. Analyzes aspects of humor that may determine its efficacy. (HB)

Presents a list of seven works of young-adult literature that are judged to be the best and most recommendable works published in 1992. Provides bibliographic information and extensive summary and analysis of each book. (HB)

Describes the reasons that companies frequently misspell words that are part of product names. Provides many examples of such misspellings, along with an analysis of why the words were misspelled. (HB)

Discusses the logic, elegance, and history of using they, them, and their as singular indefinite pronouns. Notes that, as a solution to the pronoun problem, the strength of this solution is its vagueness. Offers numerous real-life examples from publications or broadcasts and lists why it is counterproductive for English teachers to exclude this…

The course described in this teacher's guide is intended to create an awareness of the pervasiveness of sexism in American culture as reflected in the language. Following an overview of the course, the guide provides a discussion of teaching methods that have proven useful in pilot studies of the course, including the following topics:…

Counters six arguments against humor in English classes. Presents arguments in support of studying humor in English classes, noting its usefulness and benefits. (SR)

Suggests that educators need to let students know that sometimes messages are sent in the hopes of confusing or misleading readers or listeners. Notes that people sending such messages include politicians, marketers, educators, parents, entertainers, medical personnel, and in fact, anybody and everybody. Considers how modern media makes it easier…

The course materials provided in this booklet are intended to create an awareness of the pervasiveness of sexism in American culture as reflected in the language. Information on the topic; assignments for field work, analysis, and discussion; and topics for compositions are given in four sections, each based on a separate linguistic principle. The…

Designed to help teachers open young minds to literature, this book presents criteria for evaluating books in all genres and their suggested classroom uses, an examination of hotly debated topics, and an overview of the significance of young adult literature. The fourth edition of the book features 30 boxed inserts containing essays by some of the…

Presents four principles to use in creating inconspicuous sex-fair language: (1) be consistent, (2) use words not marked for gender, (3) make the surface structure match the deep structure, and (4) use dual epronouns only when they contribute to clearer understanding. (MM)

Reflecting the rapid changes that have occurred in young adult literature, this second edition provides teachers with the history and background needed to stay current with what adolescents are reading and how such literature can be taught. The book is organized much as a literature course is taught: first, an introduction to young adults and…