The evidence of a general achievement gap, and more specifically, a reading gap between African American students and White students is a well documented and alarming phenomenon (Chatterji, 2006; Darling-Hammond, 2004, 2007; Darling-Hammond, Holtzman, Gatlin & Heilig, 2005; Fishback & Baskin, 1991; Jencks & Phillips, 1998; Haycock, 2001;…

Historicized images of First Nations women ("princesses" and "squaws") and related narratives are deeply entrenched in North American popular culture. These appropriated, commodified representations circulate in the politics of difference and influence the identities of Native women. But their mothers' and grandmothers'…

Little research has examined how low-income Asian American children are supported to achieve well in school. The authors used the notion of social capital to study higher versus lower achieving Chinese adolescents from low-income backgrounds. They found that families of higher-achieving adolescents built and used more effectively three kinds of…

In North American university contexts, the language diversity found in English mainstream composition ("L1") classrooms resembles more and more that found in ESL ("L2") writing classrooms. As these two groups become less differentiated, those specifically trained in L2 writing might well wonder whether the needs of the…

This annotated bibliography lists works by several sports historians and essayists, as well as sociologists and sports journalists who address the question, "Why baseball?", and examine the reasons for our national love of the game, the myths, and the legends. Annotations have been excerpted from summaries and reviews in the "Book Review Digest."…

The history of Quebec (Canada) nationalism from its beginnings with the British conquest of New France in 1759 to the present is discussed. (RM)

Replies critically to the article by D. K. Stevenson and R. J. Brunt, "Living English: Seeing the Forest in Spite of the Trees -- On Differences between American English and British English," in this journal, issue 1979/2. A reply by Stevenson and Brunt continues the controversy. (IFS/WGA)

This article presents a personal account of how one bicultural art therapist responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Highlighted are her roles in a workshop for mothers and children and assisting in schools as a facilitator. (Contains 12 references.) (GCP)

Compares the different ways in which Americans and Japanese people shift topics in business conversations. It is suggested that the different uses of topic-shifting strategies reflect a more profound difference in cultural expectations. (Author/GLR)

Presents a background to Christopher Columbus's historical voyages through the use of a "time machine" interview. (Author/CK)

Challenges the belief that the intonation of yes/no questions in American English is different from that of standard British English. Reports on a study that shows that American speakers of English do not distinguish between the high-rising and low-rising intonation, and argues that the supposed difference in intonation between the two varieties…

Provides an alternative analysis for the demonstrative system of reference in spontaneous oral discourse. The alternative model is based on interaction between and among participants and is intended to replace the traditional proximal/distal distinction that statistically centers around the speaker as the primary focus of information. (Author/VWL)

This study presents a phonetic analysis of repetitions occurring in other-initiated repair sequences in American English. Despite their lexical similarities, the repairs are shown to have 2 distinct phonetic patterns. These patterns correspond systematically with a sequential and interactional difference between fitted and disjunct trouble source…

Assessment of tongue strength and endurance is common in research and clinical contexts. It is unclear whether the results reveal discrete function by the tongue or combined abilities of the tongue and jaw. One way to isolate the movement of the tongue is to constrain the jaw kinematically by using a bite block. In this study, 10 neurologically…

This study examined cultural differences in children's simultaneous attention to 2 events versus quick alternation in which attending to 1 event momentarily interrupted attending to another. Thirty-one 6- to 10-year-old U.S. children of Mexican and European American heritage folded paper figures with 2 other first- to third-grade children and an…