This contribution investigates the frequency patterns of the modal verbs as they occur in the one-million-word corpus of Cameroon written English. An analysis of dominant senses of some of the modals is also attempted. I have used results and statistical figures from British and American English (as reported in studies such as Biber et al. 1999…

Pragmatic proficiency has been incorporated in the EFL teaching and testing syllabi in China, but the corresponding tests still focus on linguistic competence. The gap between the teaching and testing is mainly due to the lack of generally accepted measures of communicative abilities such as pragmatic competence. This study developed a…

Contributions made by Indians from North, South, and Central America are presented in the form of a coloring book. The scenes depict early agricultural, social, recreational, artistic, and medicinal practices of various Indian tribes which have since become a part of the life of peoples around the world. The coloring book, which can be used as a…

Presents 1989 trade books for children in K-8 grades appropriate for social studies education. Covers the following areas: North American history, culture, and life; world history and cultures; biography; the examination of origins; rural and business life; environment; folktales, myths, legends, fables, and stories; poems and songs; and…

"Is academic speech "more like" casual conversation or academic writing?" [Swales, J. (2001). "Metatalk in American academic talk. The cases of 'point' and 'thing'." "Journal of English Language," 29(1), p. 37]. Taking a corpus-based perspective to the analysis, this study compares the language of university classroom talk to academic prose and…

This article is an expansion of an earlier investigation that the authors undertook in the wake of the democratization process in South Africa while universities were struggling to redefine their aims, roles, and identities toward the end of the twentieth century. The authors' research commenced in 1994 as a genealogy, tracing individuals on an…

Children's spirituality has become a significant for-profit enterprise in North American consumer culture. This article explores the marketing of children's spirituality as an aspect of the larger construction of children as consumers in the context of late globalized capitalism. Playing off of parental anxieties over the need to avail their…

This study explored cultural differences in the criteria young people have for becoming an adult. Specifically, the study sought (a) to compare Chinese and American responses concerning whether they believe they have reached adulthood; (b) to examine whether adulthood criteria could fit a common statistical model for both cultures; and (c) after…

The volumes selected for this annual annotated bibliography of children's books in the social studies: (1) are written primarily for children in grades K-8; (2) emphasize human relations; (3) present an original theme or fresh slant on a traditional topic; (4) are highly readable; and (5) have a pleasing format and, when appropriate,…

The purpose of this study was to explore correlates of childhood social-withdrawal in India. Participants were n = 929 elementary school-aged children in New Delhi. Children completed peer nominations of social-withdrawal, aggression, and sociometric status, as well as self-report measures of loneliness and depressive symptoms. Teachers rated…

The uses and techniques of quilt making are presented in this book which focuses on the quilt patterns as allegory for pioneer history. Pioneer experiences are described and linked visually with appropriate quilt patterns. An activity accompanies each pattern presentation. The work is organized into 10 chapters: (1) "Quilts and History: A…

Based on the premise that food and cooking traditions capture what is distinctive about the United States, more than 275 recipes that represent U.S. regional and cultural diversity are presented in this book. Photographs, anecdotes, and essays demonstrate the family traditions and local lore of the many people who, over the years, have…

This document reports on an examination of lifestyles, cultures, and heritage of Arab communities within the United States. After a historical overview of the arrival and settling of Arab-Americans in wave after wave of immigration, the work provides close-up views of different communities across the country. Each of those views introduces a few…

This book is the second in a series of works that seeks to examine the Arab-American experience. The original 1984 publication, "Taking Root, Bearing Fruit: The Arab-American Experience" featured surveys of 12 communities in all geographic regions of the United States. Such was the response to that report that its creators decided to…

Examines the effects of misused language--metaphors, euphemism, and prolixity--on the English language, concluding little can be done to bring about more precise usage of language as long as oral usage dominates. (RB)