"Discovering English with the Sketch Engine" is the title of a new book (Thomas, 2014) which introduces the use of corpora in language study, teaching, writing and translating. It focuses on using the Sketch Engine to identify patterns of normal usage in many aspects of English ranging from morphology to discourse and pragmatics. This…

Relates the propaganda techniques identified by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis to Hugh Rank's Intensification/Downplay doublespeak model. (MKM)

Claims that grammar instruction does not improve written composition have led some teachers to a confident consensus that they do not have to deal with grammar, yet many still firmly believe in teaching it. Grammar instruction (meaning pedagogical or school grammar rather than scientific or linguistic grammar) can be viewed from the metaphorical…

In the name of responsible argument, persuasive rhetoric need not eschew all the devices used by propaganda. Emotion is not only inevitable in discourse, it is the necessary base for action. Educators should not consider propaganda evil for the very reason they consider poetry good: its emotional power. This kind of thinking creates a specious…

The teaching of English in the United Kingdom has undergone change during the last decade and is presently in a state of flux. Current language concerns, mainly involving students 11-18 years old, may be viewed in three ways. Students' use of language should be encouraged in the classroom through expressive talk but with teacher guidance and…

Rhetorical and linguistic concepts of the sentence are reviewed in the course of introducing the concept of the "minor sentence" (sentence fragments which may occur alone as complete linguistic utterances or which may be combined by parataxis or coordinators with a major sentence). Rather than restraining beginning writers from using…

Part of the reward for expository college English papers is, of course, letter grades, but careful writing offers two greater rewards: knowledge and liberation. Teachers can best motivate students to write by seeing to it that the writing they assign teaches and challenges, and by assigning topics that are important to students but ones that they…

This paper contends that anyone who teaches English or who wants to write or publish must be sensitive to the issue of gender equity in language, whether in the use of police officers, not policemen, flight attendants, not stewardesses, or the exclusive use of the masculine pronoun, which was the standard years ago. Writers can avoid gender bias…

"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,…

As an emotional topic, concern with acceptable usage of language has never been far from the public consciousness, but the public's willingness to abide by educators' views on the necessity of teaching usage rules has varied over the years. The situation we face is not a new one--the eighteenth century saw the initial widespread concern with…

Considers current research into television viewing and its possible influence on student behavior; analyzes international developments in mass media and the cultural influences they may impose in the future; and suggests ways English teachers might face and oppose this new culture through language. (FL)

This paper discusses informal, semiformal, and formal speaking and writing, three language levels that differ from one another in organization, preparation, intent, tone, and audience. By demonstrating the essential unity of writing, speaking, reading, and listening, speech communication teachers can develop students' abilities in all the language…

The dialect versus Standard English controversy continues in college composition courses. On the one hand, texts, handbooks, and workbooks usually emphasize Standard English while influential linguists point out the merits of dialectalism. One option for educators is to discuss alternatives in class. Students soon reject the extremes of…

With increasing enrollments in journalism, many journalism instructors contend that problems of spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation are particularly acute. Some of the questions raised at recent gatherings include: Are formal rules of English grammar dying? Is proper punctuation mere pedantry? What can journalism schools do about grammar and…

This paper presents three strategies for convincing English teachers that eliminating sexist language is a serious priority in their profession. The first section of the paper examines the historical evolution of definitions of gender specific words and of pronoun usage, noting both the recency of sexually biased language styles and the myth of a…