Tracing both current concern for correctness in speech and writing and continued suspicion of formal language regulation, this book explores the history of American language reform and failure. The first three chapters examine early attitudes toward the English language in the New World, and the development of the concept of Federal English in…

Within the realm of forensic oral interpretation, concern over the use of profanity in presentations has aroused repressive criticism from some judges, who then express their offense by ranking the performance negatively. This judicial opposition is deleterious not only to the precepts of oral interpretation, but also--in a larger sense--to the…

This study examines quantitatively the systems of tense, mood, and aspect in Puerto Rican Spanish spoken in the United States. In the community under investigation, code-switching is an integral part of the communicative repertoire; also, the codes tend to be switched at points around which the surface structures of Spanish and English map onto…

An error analysis of the oral production of Korean adults learning English was performed on informant speech samples, using Corder's Algorithm for providing data for description of idiosyncratic dialects as a guide for determing error. The procedures of error analysis and morpheme acquisition studies were combined to address the following…

Research is in progress on oral interactive discourse, that is, discourse produced by several participants working in collaboration. The intent of the research is to investigate how the discourse is organized at several different levels of structure (acts, sequences of acts, interactive structure, propositional content, and formal realizations).…

The relationship between ease of comprehension and the syntactic form used to convey indirect requests was investigated among intermediate and advanced learners of English as a second language (ESL). The results were compared to those of native English speaking children and adults. Subjects were 82 college students enrolled in intensive ESL…

Studies that attempt to clarify and test the Whorfian hypothesis, which states that the structure of one's language influences understanding of reality and behavior, are summarized. Both first language and second language behaviors were investigated in order to determine interactions between language behavior and personality development. Ability…

Focusing on a meeting held in January 1983, this pamphlet describes the Forum on the Productivity of Plain English, from which grew the permanent Plain English Forum, which is committed to spreading the message that plain English is good business. The pamphlet includes quotations from leaders in business and industry explaining why they feel that…

A study was conducted to determine if the Japanese use logic and argument in different ways than do Westerners. The study analyzed sample rebuttal speeches (in English) of 14 Japanese debaters using the Toulmin model of argument. In addition, it made comparisons with a sample of speeches made by 5 American high school debaters. Audiotapes of the…

One of the most memorable eulogies delivered in the United States Senate is the one by Senator Michael Mansfield for President John F. Kennedy. An analysis of his word choice reveals that he (1) forced the audience to participate in the creation of the message; (2) employed active, forceful descriptions; (3) focused on praiseworthy qualities of…

The chief aim of this style manual is to promote clarity and consistency in writing for publication. The chapters are intended to help writers understand the publication process that begins with a need to communicate with a particular audience and ends with the distribution of the finished product. The first chapter on planning and producing a…

A majority of the Samoan students in Hawaii and the mainland United States come from American Samoa, but a small number are immigrants from western Samoa, which is geographically and politically separate. The culture of western Samoa is very traditional, and Samoan families are categorized as "extended." All children are expected to help…

A discussion of the state of bilingual education in the Pacific islands administered by the United States (Guam, American Samoa, and Micronesia) begins with background information on the patterns of education and language use in the region and in each separate area. The current status of bilingual education programs and support projects is…

A method for recognizing supportive behavior among the students of a seventh grade social studies class, whose disruptive and abusive behavior made learning impossible, resulted in positive personal growth for both teacher and student. (JH)