This paper discusses the validity and utility of contrastive analysis for language teaching, focusing on the utility of contrastive analysis over error analysis in analyzing adverbial positioning in sentences produced by two groups of native speakers of English and Arabic. Contains 13 references. (MDM)

The device of employing adverbs as quantifiers is common in daily use of Modern Chinese. Quantifiers that have the closest glossed meanings are compared, based partly on a survey of 13 native speakers of Mandarin. Findings suggest that certain quantifiers cannot be characterized uniformly because of inherently different properties. (Contains six…

This paper discusses the figurative meanings attached to the names of different animals in different cultures, and highlights some of the problems language learners and translators face when dealing with single-word conventional metaphor. (15 references) (JL)

Examines sources of superfluous negation in Bulgarian-English interlanguage by examining the nature and occurrence of negatives in English and Bulgarian. It is concluded that these superfluous negations result from the process of passing from a scope-prominent stage to a syntax prominent stage in expressing negation. (one reference) (JL)

In a discussion of possessives in Spanish, it is shown that three morphosyntactic constructs are systematically linked. The possessive dative construction, inalienable possession and nonrestrictive adjectives, and inalienable possession with subjects are examined. (25 references) (LB)

Argues that meaning is encoded not only in words but also in grammatical categories. These claims are illustrated and documented by analyzing one area of grammar in a number of different languages of the world: that area that is usually associated with the term of "evidentiality." (Contains 25 references.) (JL)

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)

Reflects upon the contextual issues associated with the adoption and spread of the term "lefargen" as part of Israeli social semantics. The data consist of reports of linguistic usage encountered in natural settings, press reports, or the more formal setting of interviews. Findings are compared with similar cultural idioms in other…

Critical analysis of three cases of grammatical borrowing of Frisian from Dutch leads to the specific conclusion that the Frisian grammatical system does not "Dutchify," and to general conclusions concerning the ways that minority languages can and cannot be influenced by dominant languages. (Author/CB)

Tracing Appalachian speech to different areas of the British Isles entailed researching hard-to-find linguistic studies and original texts in Belfast, Edinburgh, and other locations. The Scotch-Irish contribution significantly outweighs that from Southern Britain and appears much more responsible for the grammatical features of Appalachian…

Examined the extent to which cross-linguistic differences in sentence interpretation would generalize to complex sentences with an embedded clause. College students who were native speakers of English or Italian completed four experiments. Results indicated that cross-linguistic differences were maintained when students interpreted complex…

Contrasts propaganda about language at different periods during the last 150 years in five localities: southern Austria; western Hungary, Karelia, Moldavia, and northwestern Greece. The study comes out of the little-known field of political linguistics. (Author/VWL)

Suggests that children follow different paths into learning verbs, and that there are several forces guiding the learning process: cognitive as well as language specific matters, such as morphology, semantics, and discourse. Sketches the basic characteristics of verbs in Tzotzil and examines two children's productions at the end of their…

Explores the acoustic nature of Singapore English. In directly comparable samples of British and Singapore English, two types of acoustic measurements were taken--calculation of a variability index reflecting changes in vowel length over utterances, and measurements reflecting vowel quality. Findings provide acoustic data that support the…

A series of reading-time studies was conducted to examine the processing of co-reference in Chinese discourse. These studies were conducted to test the generality of studies of English that have shown that reduced referential expressions contribute more to discourse coherence than do unreduced expressions. (Author/VWL)