The variety of syntactic forms for expression of directives is commented on. Data has been collected investigating the empirical distribution of formal variants across social features and predictability of the form of a directive if social features of its context are known. (Author/RM)

An experiment was performed to determine the effects of syntax complexity and vocabulary difficulty of problem statements on the ability of students to solve them. It was concluded that these variables do have an effect on students' performance, especially in cases of students with low general ability or reading problems. (SD)

Stresses the need for a sociolinguistic approach to the instruction of Chinese as a second language that would take into account recent changes in the Chinese language. A specific method used in the preparation of teaching materials is outlined. (CLK)

Recommends, for English teaching at advanced levels, equating English participial constructions with German participial constructions rather than with paraphrases, in order to develop an analytic approach on the part of the student. (IFS/WGA)

This study examined the sensitivity of adult second language learners to deviance in English sentences. The subjects were 18 Egyptian, Arabic-speaking students attending classes at the English Language Institute of the American University in Cairo. (Author/CFM)

According to a theory of textual cohesion, anaphoric references and noun phrase organizers may serve as cohesive ties linking separate sentences into unified paragraphs. This study revealed that only the noun phrase organizer condition was significant in promoting comprehension and indicated no difference in time scores by paragraph condition.…

In two experiments, subjects were interrupted while listening to a two-clause sentence just before the last word of either the initial clause or the final clause. The two experiments together suggest that interclause semantic relations affect the immediate processing of clauses. (Author/EJS)

The study, involving 12 poor and 12 good fourth grade readers, tested the effects of context on the identification of high-frequency words. (BD)

Predictions about the length of time needed to fingerspell various strings in four sentences were drawn from cipher, phonological, and syntacitc models of fingerspelling production. (Author)

Describes a method for teaching composition skills based on the reading and rewriting of different texts. (AM)

An account of a research project based on the psycholinguistic theory of reading. Its purpose was to isolate, analyze and directly compare the use of syntactic, semantic and discourse constraints by readers of French either as a first or as a second language. (AMH)

An analysis is made of the gradual learning process through which a child becomes bilingual from early infancy. (NCR)

This article reviews and criticizes Fay's particular transformational descriptions as implausible. (Author/NCR)

Investigating the effect of sentence-combining practice on the syntactic maturity of written compositions and on reading comprehension, this study involved assignment of seventh grade students to control and experimental groups. Analysis was based on the experimental group's completion of 26 sentence-combining problems (O'Hare's format with some…

An experiment was conducted to determine whether the deep structure or the surface structure clause is more important as a speech planning unit, and whether syntactic decisions are made during sentence production. Results were discussed in relation to previous studies of pausing and speech disruption. (Author/CTM)