Free-standing acknowledgement tokens are contrasted with tokens that begin full turns. Jefferson's theory is tested and supported that "yeah" displays greater speakership incipiency than "mm hm." Two research traditions that guide the present inquiry are reviewed. (17 references) (LB)

The authors respond to comments on their article, "Back Channels Revisited." The current state of the art in acknowledgement token research is outlined with particular reference to the turn-initial token "yeah." Contrastive uses of acknowledgement tokens are described. (20 references) (LB)

Examines the language switching event as a revelation of the language attitudes of the communicators. Findings show that language choice decisions are often highly emotional, and attitudes toward language switching seem to cluster around national and linguistic stereotypes. (EKN)

The approach to the study of black English usage that is based on a theory of linguistic differences between blacks and whites is inadequate, because it ignores the socioeconomic aspects of dialects. It does not resolve the problems that exist in schools for students who use black English regularly. The issue is made more complex since linguistics…