Argues for a reconceptualization of second language learning in ways that account for the larger social and cultural forces that influence both the meanings residing in the linguistic resources used in face-to-face communication and the ability of individuals to use them. Also considers the sociohistorical significance of this perspective for…

This case study examined the vocabulary gains made by an adult learner of English as a Second Language as a result of performing four communication tasks. It found that explicit negotiation of word meaning appeared less deterministic of posttest improvements than use of words in the process of completing the task. (13 references) (MDM)

The growing secularization of Israeli lifestyle and the increasing influence of foreign languages as manifested in the local media have given rise to new forms of language secularization. This article discusses and provides examples of the secularization of Hebrew, which has split modern Hebrew into two varieties--religious and secularized. (13…

Unlike conventional information retrieval systems, natural language processing (NLP) systems translate queries automatically into the language of the system. This paper discusses the potential impact of NLP on both the indexing and retrieval of text and examines some current NLP projects and systems that have established knowledge bases in narrow…

After reviewing previous research on the acquisition of vocabulary through contextual clues, research carried out with 429 students in the upper grades of an Italian elementary school is discussed. (12 references) (CFM)

Word learning by young children is viewed as a problem deriving from the use of forms of discourse texts. Uses of causal and temporal terms in private speech by a child studied longitudinally from 1;9 to 3;0 are analyzed from this perspective. (Contains 38 references.) (JL)

Examines students' summaries of three lectures. Finds that the percentage, but not the number, of propositions correlated positively with the accuracy scores in the summaries. Suggests that analyses of errors, lexical substitutions, discrepancies in grades, and differences in students' scores for the different lectures revealed interesting results…

The concept of language learning disability is discussed in terms of such language components as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics; input and output dimensions of language performance; information processing; and the social construction of meaning. (DB)

Investigates the determinants of adult usage of various syntactic and semantic cues in sentence interpretation. Native French speakers and advanced English/French bilinguals were tested for the strength of usage of word order, clitic pronoun agreement, verb agreement, and noun animacy cues in the assignment of the role in French sentences. (46…

Two experiments were performed on the ability of children and adults to understand and produce locative verbs. Results confirm that children tend to make syntactic errors with sentences containing "fill" and "empty," encoding the content argument as direct object. (33 references) (JL)

Recent knowledge about the system of gender assignment in French is examined to suggest theoretical reasons why English speakers are so rarely successful in mastering the French gender assignment system for inanimate nouns. Morphological, phonetic, and semantic rules shed light on the system. (14 references) (Author/LB)

Describes a collaborative, reuse hypertext system, called MUCH (Many Using and Creating Hypertext). The novel browsing and retrieval characteristics of the system are based on a semantic net connecting documents, thesauri, and discussions. Word patterns are documented for reuse, creating and reorganizing network traversal according to user…

Analyzed longitudinal data from 28-year-old Cambodian man who, despite instruction in English-as-Second-Language and residence in English-speaking community, used form "has" for both possessives (PO) and existentials (EX). Shared semantic properties of PO/EX, together with syntactic, pragmatic, perceptual characteristics of native…

Discusses how culture and civilization are profoundly affected by the advent of new forms of media. Describes relevant theories by various cultural critics. Analyzes these theories of culture and provides a synthesis of their implications. (HB)

Two experiments compared the abilities of third and sixth graders and adults to recognize sarcasm given context and intonation cues. Children recognized sarcasm only when given a speaker's sarcastic intonation cue, even when context strongly indicated a nonliteral interpretation. (BC)