Discusses one teacher's experience teaching English to Russian students at Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University. Describes an approach to teaching American English through literature using a dialogic method called "town meetings."(Author/VWL)

Profiles Alfred A. Knopf, his wife Blanche, and the publishing empire they created. Beginning in 1915, Knopf Inc. established a reputation for intellectual integrity, eventually including the works of 35 Pulitzer Prize winners and 18 Nobel laureates. Knopf often led the publishing industry in book design and literary tastes. (MJP)

The purpose of this paper is to share findings and reflections arising from an AUA study visit of the US and Canada in 2002. It explores how e-learning, i.e. computer-mediated teaching and learning, is changing higher education in North America. How do they see the future? What strategies are being developed for managing online learning and…

This book argues that what college students read has crucial implications for both their development as individuals and their ability to establish consensus on national issues. The result of visits to college classrooms all over the United States, the book is not the work of a professional educator but of an editor and literary critic who is…

This memoir describes August Fruge's 32 years as head of the University of California Press. Early chapters describe Berkeley, where the press is located, in the 1940s, conflicts with the Printing Department, the role of the faculty-run editorial committee, and setting new directions for the press. Three chapters describe looking for titles to…

For Asian Americans, learning only the skills of verbal communication is not sufficient--they need to develop a sense of appreciation for eloquence, to understand the urgency of freedom of expression in a democratic society, and to internalize the value of speech as an instrument for self-enhancement. The remarkable differences between the East…

A study investigated cultural variations in the ways groups of speakers reach consensus in the face of disagreement or suggestion. Subjects were six graduate students in each of five groups: one composed of native speakers of American English, two of Taiwanese Chinese, and two of mainland Chinese. Each group performed a desert survival exercise,…

A college course in American culture, designed for students of English as a second language as an introduction to both American culture and university content courses, is described. The course was developed based on the philosophy and techniques of ethnography and foreign language pedagogy, and requires a combination of student participation,…

The attempt by many urban school districts to develop African curricula creates a dilemma, because it usually places an African-centered program in a multicultural curriculum that is centered in the European-American educational tradition. Currently, some elements of an African and African-centered curriculum may be found in the multicultural…

A study of intercultural business communication problems compared three examples of direct marketing sales letters similar in function, format, content, and targeted recipient but originating in different cultures (India, England, and the United States) and companies. The letters were directed to a single prospective purchaser of "Who's…

An attempt is made in this book to state some of the features of and dispel some of the myths about nonstandard English, particularly the dialects of English spoken by many black Americans, and to consider alternative policies that might be adopted regarding varied forms of English. The chapters of the book include "What Is the Problem?""Is…

Analyzes Dewey's and Kohlberg's theories, arguing that they failed to achieve their espoused societal goals because of their emphasis on individualism. Cites linguistic evidence for this argument and urges a renewed dialog on the progressive education heritage which will more adequately reflect the social consciousness of the best religious and…

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to investigate whether, and to what extent, the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) can be applied in Saudi Arabia; and (2) to investigate the effect on BSRI scores of exposure of Saudi Arabians to Western culture. (BW)

According to Edmund Leach (1976), boundaries are dirty. Yet power resides in the boundaries. As foreign-born instructors, the authors fall into a dirty category because they exist in cultural boundaries. This paper recognizes the American style of communication studies as a dirty category. This paper suggests that the authors' role be redefined in…

Discusses the study of literatures, cultures, and languages of people of color in the United States and Canada. Considers recruitment, mentoring, and evaluation of junior faculty members of color. Presents guidelines which are designed to assist departments that have not yet adopted or are in the process of developing such procedures. (SG)