Discusses an investigation of reported attitudes on language use in Cyprus. Identifies boundaries of social division and provides reasons for the coexistence of multiple linguistic codes. Accounts for the use of national and international codes (Greek-Cypriot dialect, Standard Modern Greek, English), their market value, and their location within…

This article examines the francophone community of Cohoes, New York, where nearly one-third of the population is of French-Canadian descent. It provides a historical overview of the French-Canadian experience in the area and an examination of language usage, language attitudes, and the maintenance of a francophone identity. Contains 16 references.…

Argues for the importance of "read-it-agains," books that have a special appeal to young people because of their sensitive and relevant use of language. Reviews specific books for those in the primary, intermediate, and middle school grades. (TB)

Focuses on the uses of the first language (L1) made by 22 pairs of Grade 8 French immersion students as they complete one of two different tasks: a dictogloss and a jigsaw. The outcome of each task is a story written by each pair. Proposes a coding scheme for the uses made of the (L1) and reports on an exploratory analysis intended to describe…

Investigates whether, due to the language contact situation in Houston in a group of a Mexican-American speakers, the imperfect forms of subordinate language (Spanish) are going through a process of reduction in favor of the forms of the superordinate language (English) when compared to the speech of Spanish monolinguals. (Author/VWL)

Analyzes responses to 1996 Australian census regarding language use and compares them with those in the two previous censuses. Discusses divergent trends in different states and between two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. Comparison of language-shift rates between the three censuses and cross-tabulations with generation, age, gender, family…

Explores teachers' use of moral language when describing and interpreting K-12 classroom and graduate school experiences, analyzing products developed by practicing teachers from a nontraditional Master's program (exit portfolios, reflective essays, and admission essays). Results suggest that teacher education must encourage teachers to envision…

Notes the many levels of complexity inherent in successful classrooms. Describes a set of common physical attributes and paraphernalia in the classroom settings observed. Examines discourse features that were a function of the learning contexts that teachers deliberately and consciously established, looking at specific language use, and at…

Examined codeswitching to negotiate power or solidarity in adults' conversational exchanges and discusses ebonics as used by African Americans in urban adult basic education programs. Findings from 12 interviews and 20 videotapes show how adult learners use language to inform and interpret themselves in the world. (SLD)

Reviews 43 recently-published collections of poetry for children that were considered by the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Committee. Groups them in terms of: evoking an image or idea; visual poetry; word play; and the voice. (SR)

Conducted a study on the use of the mother tongue in English classes at the University of Puerto Rico. Recorded a 35-minute transcript from three classes at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester to see how often teachers used Spanish. Teachers filled out a questionnaire about their attitudes toward the use of Spanish and English in the…

Investigates the language situation in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Prefecture in China's Hunan province. By examining language use in certain domains of public life (public signs, radio and television broadcasting, publishing, and education) certain discrepancies between government policies for minority languages and realities of everyday use of the…

Investigated whether the content of infant speech productions is better characterized as preserving stressed and final syllables or as preserving a trochaic pattern; used a detailed longitudinal description of one child's syllable omission. Found that the trochaic template hypothesis was not supported by these early productions. (Author/JPB)

Notes that the author/educator noticed that his efforts at teaching poetry were failing. Describes how he decided to make poets out of his students--to start by showing how they can be affected by language. Notes that students started with just a word, then wrote poems, and then began to demand forms, which the teacher then introduced to the…

This study surveyed 86 parents who enrolled their children in a Chinese-English bilingual preschool in San Francisco. The participants were asked their opinions on bilingual education, the reasons for sending their children to a Chinese-English bilingual school, their attitudes toward bilingual education, their use of Chinese and English, and…