Examines the communicative effectiveness of content presented in the audiovisual ode of discourse. Ninety children viewed individually four scenes from an audiovisual cartoon in three grade levels. Questions the value placed on the audiovisual mode of communication and addresses its power to organize and present cultural knowledge. (Author/VWL)

In contrast to the commonsense discourse of youth-as-unruly widely circulating in the West, the kind of discourse which has become part of the Singapore public and academic imagination is one that mobilizes constructions of youth as narrowly achievement-oriented, as "exam-smart muggers", who "lack an enquiring mind". This study…

This paper explores the difference between conversations of new acquaintances and those of established friends. Psycho- and sociolinguistic literature on the subject lacks a systematic grammatical and lexical approach to the analysis of distinguishing features. This paper describes a longitudinal study of the 1991-1992 Edinburgh University Applied…

The concept of authenticity in foreign language pedagogy is discussed with particular reference to the methodology of instructing through the medium of authentic texts. It is suggested that the use of authentic texts in a classroom setting actually deauthenticates those elements that made the texts originally authentic; i.e., placing them in a…

A study investigated success and efficiency of second language learners at varying proficiency levels in communicating intended meaning, including examination of factors contributing to communication breakdown and delay. Three groups of adults (native English-speakers and low- and high-proficiency learners of English as a Second Language)…

Research reports on the nature of speech, instrumentation for the investigation of speech, and practical applications of research are included in this status report for the April 1-June 30, 1980, period. The reports deal with the following topics: (1) the perceptual equivalent of two acoustic cues for a speech contrast is specific to phonetic…

This paper is based on information and insights gained from the preliminary data-gathering phase of a project on the acquisition of Irish as first and second language. The main aim of the project is to establish a database constituted of acquisitional data gathered from children acquiring Irish as a first language and in the early stages of…

Examines various criteria that have been proposed for evaluating the increasing number of empirical studies carried out using qualitative research methods and demonstrates how such criteria may privilege certain forms of qualitative research while excluding others. Select existing evaluative criteria for qualitative research proposed by applied…

Assessed Hong Kong tertiary students' readiness for learner autonomy in language learning by examining their views of their responsibilities and those of their teachers, their confidence in their ability to operate autonomously, and their assessment of their level of motivation to learn English. (Author/VWL)

Language shift and language loss were studied in three generations of a Dutch immigrant family. Findings from an analysis of letters, interviews, a domain questionnaire, and editing and correction tests suggest increases in language shift with each generation although the degree of loss was rather slow in the first and second generation. (Contains…

The types and frequency of explanatory talk occurring in naturalistic, mealtime conversations in 31 low-income families of preschoolers were examined. Analysis of a total of 75 transcripts revealed that the most frequent type of explanations fell into intentional categories, accounting for more than half of all segments of explanatory talk.…

Research is reported on the growing English Language Teaching (ELT) literature that sheds new light on components of the diffusion process in one ELT context: the U.S. intensive English program. Findings highlight a new set of perspectives on the role of perceived attributes of ELT innovations. (42 references) (Author/LB)

The culturally marked discursive style in Italian and English public service encounters are contrasted by concentrating on the management of request-compliance and request-noncompliance. Linguistic realization of "evidentiality" (the expression of attitudes toward communicated information and the information source) is analyzed from bookstore…

Focuses on the interlanguage pragmatic strategies used by Japanese and Korean learners of English. Data was collected from a project carried out jointly by Korean and Japanese university students. Observation, analysis, and discussion of student data suggest that interspeaker understanding and sensitivity to pragmatic variables of the target…

Investigates students' writing based on theories of learning. Considers thinking as something that is built in the process of interactions and confrontations with the thoughts of others. Investigation is based on qualitative analysis of 24 student dissertations written by social workers training to become managers of community services in two…