Describes the use in a semantics/linguistics class of rural Midwestern idioms of the past to demonstrate the relationship of the language and the experience it represents. States that, although students do not always appreciate the figures of speech, when they relate the symbols to the referents, they get involved in the message. (PA)

Discusses translation problems resulting from semantic differences in legal and sociopolitical vocabulary, and the translator's responsibility in exposing erroneous or false presuppositions found in the source document. (AM)

Some grammatical points often left unexplained about the meaning, use, and teaching of these verb forms are outlined and discussed, drawing on textbooks and usage literature. Comparisons are made between the several forms, and traditional grammatical approaches are compared and contrasted. (MSE)

Provides examples from two classroom exercises: an exercise in which the opening verses of the King James Bible are rewritten in various modern styles, and an exercise in which words in well-known book titles are changed to show the power of the original titles. (GT)

Suggests two techniques to help students look carefully at language. The first involves students in reacting favorably, unfavorably, or neutrally to a list of words and then discussing the list; in the second, students create a brand name and an advertising campaign for green beans. (TJ)

A discussion of the use of French puns for teaching both language and culture looks at possible class activities and proposes that advertising is a good source of puns. Types of puns are examined. (MSE)

The modal "should" can be taught by first delineating its meaning of "good advice," then proceeding to its meaning as expressing the speaker's sense of duty, propriety, and expediency, and finally dealing with its meaning of "reasonable expectation." The elements of "must" implicit in "should"…

Calls for a functional, semantically-based grammar for teachers, but not for pupils, to replace the traditional formal grammar they currently rely on. (JL)

Discusses the difficulty in recognizing and expressing the formation of concession and counter-assertion. Words like "although" and "if," while familiar in other contexts, present problems when used for these functions. While the markers for concession are interchangeable, those for counter-assertion are not. Two different types of…

Argues that students must be attuned to the fact that language serves those who are in power and excludes those who are not. Describes an exercise demonstrating this arrangement that uses a simple "degrees of meaning" list. Notes that students realize that linguistic rules are only as strong as those who impose them. (RS)

Current colloquial use of the simple past and present perfect shows a tendency of the former to encroach on the semantic field of the latter so that the two may be used in free variation in many contexts. The contexts in which this is not possible are defined, and implications for teaching English as a second language are discussed. (MSE)

Discusses ways that language misrepresents nature, pointing out that frequently used metaphors and problematic language usage provide limited conceptual and emotional understanding of the natural world and contribute to a degraded view of nature. Discusses strategies for changing language as the first step in changing attitudes toward nature. (LP)

Students learn, understand, and retain knowledge best when they discover it themselves. In the area of semantics, the study of how meaning is conveyed through language, explicit knowledge may appear to be obvious once it becomes conscious, but unless people are explicitly aware of their implicit knowledge and assumptions, they may be at their…

There is more to the process of paraphrasing than simple transliteration. A variety of paraphrase types exist, each using a different strategy and requiring a different interpretive approach. (MSE)

An often-neglected aspect of daily language is syllable doubling or repetition, as in infant language ("nounou"), onomatopoeia ("ronron"), interjections or responses ("oui oui"), names ("Mimi"), or military slang ("coco" for "commandant"). The mechanisms and semantic functions of this phenomenon are outlined, drawing on examples from French…