On the basis of empirical data this paper concludes that knowledge relating to the use and meaning of American English Kin terms is shared and that multiple semantic models do not exist in the minds of American English speakers. (CFM)

Part of Lexicography and Dialect Geography, Festgabe for Hans Kurath''. (DD)

Defines the practical functions of various types of grammars, and theoretical functions of linguistic grammars. Points out some differences between the two (stressing contrast between native and foreign languages), as well as differences in defining, finality, or variation of categories, and in psycho- and sociolinguistic components. (IFS/WGA)

This study examined bilingual children's performance in reading Persian and English at grades one, three, and six. Indications are that the bilingual children performed not quite as well as their monolingual counterparts in either of the languages despite the high degree of variation among the subjects. (Author/POP)

Discusses the psychological or sociopsychological problems of two bilingual areas in Italy: The Alto Adige area and the Italian-Albanian area. The extremely important role of interlinguistic attitudes in attaining and maintaining bilingual status is explored. (92 references) (CFM)

Investigates some of the affinities between the traditions of communicative competence and literacy studies by examining the historical and current use of ethnographic methodology in such studies. Describes how communicative competence theory is "branching out" into communicative approaches to second language pedagogy, mingling both psychological…

Explores several models of cognitive and structural perspectives involving minority-language situations, and attempts to integrate them into a framework of predictive propositions that elaborate psychosocial climates of maintenance, majority-minority encounter, and interactive strategies. (65 references) (Author/CB)

Contends that there are far more terms associated with war and conflict than terms about peace in the English language. Asserts that this circumstance is both a product of and a contribution to national values. Recommends using more emotional words and speech to talk about peace. (CFR)

Does the language one speaks influence the way he thinks? Does it help define his world view? Anyone who has tried to master a foreign tongue has at least considered the possibility. Little linguistic peculiarities, though amusing, don't change the objective world people are describing. So how can they alter the way they think? Scientists and…

Eighteen issues are outlined concerning theory and measurement of attitude, and language attitude in particular, and research motivated by these issues described. (RM)

A discussion of the role of transfer of native-language knowledge to second language learning proposes that language transfer is as much a sociolinguistic process as a psycholinguistic one. The term "sociolinguistics" is used in a broad sense to incorporate all social factors that affect language, both the relatively static characteristics of an…

A number of issues must be considered if those in the profession are to construct a theoretically and pedagogically sound definition of literacy as a word and a concept. The profession agrees that literacy is the encoding and decoding of meaning, but there is little agreement on the term "meaning." Sociolinguists define literacy as a cluster of…

Drawing upon research from a number of fields, this paper explores parallels between new paradigms in the sciences--particularly physics, chemistry, and biology--and new paradigms in reading and literary theory--particularly a socio- or psycholinguistic, semiotic, transactional view of reading and a transactional view of the literary experience.…