Noam Chomsky proposed that when children learn a language they do not learn to imitate given sentences; rather, they learn rules by which an infinite number of sentences can be produced and understood. This essay discusses the impact which this has had on the way educators view language and learning. (KC)

Outlines an approach for studying auditory levels in speech perception, focusing on the artificial speech understanding system that is most compatible with the experimental data obtained in speech perception research. (RL)

Details a study designed to determine whether different titles caused different structures to be set up for the same text material. (FL)

Contends that the organization of comments made by one discourse participant on the contributions of another reveals a hierarchy of relevance and informativity. Illustrates this with discourse samples subjected to a particular method of analysis. (FL)

Examines the verbal and nonverbal language characteristics of several renowned television preachers. Points out that they have identified and segmented their market to more fully exploit the television market and that they have mastered promotional and advertising skills. Proposes governmental controls of some aspects of religious broadcasting.…

Reflections on the annual conference of the Canadian Council of Teachers of English (CCTE) and the development of language study in Canadian education are given. (HTH)

Describes experiments involving responses of language disordered children to sentences that can carry directive import. Results indicate that language disordered children are qualitatively like normal children with regard to early response behavior. These children do have more difficulty in generating informing responses and utilizing information…

Describes a study designed to determine whether children's conceptualization of the component sounds in words is influenced by knowledge of the words' spelling using real and made-up words. Shows the phonemic segmentation skill may be a consequence of as much as a prerequisite to learning real words. (Author/BK)

Investigated the occurence of language in the play of preschool children. Ninety-three percent involved playing with language sounds, and 7 percent with language structure. (Author/DB)

Compares use of first person singular and second person singular references in Japanese and American children six years old and under. Hypothesizes that Japanese children use a greater variety of these forms and observe sex distinction in the use of these forms to a greater extent than American children. (Author/AM)

Reports the results of interviews conducted in Sapporo, Japan, an area undergoing rapid urbanization. The study sought to determine the effect of urbanization on degree of intensity of interaction with neighbors, and on the use of honorifics. (Author/AM)

Discusses the distinctions that exist among the uses of "ser" and "estar" in Spanish. They are explained with reference to the semantic values present in the three basic functions of these verbs: principal, auxiliary, and attributive. (NCR)

Included is information regarding: the adaptation of microcomputer materials in physics curricula; a school-industry liaison case study involving basic electronics for teachers; the use of language in science lessons; problems in teaching image-synthesis skills; and tabulated results of a questionnaire concerning a ten-year span of organic…

Reports on research that sought to clarify Brown's (1973) research on acquisition order, syntactic complexity, semantic complexity, and the relationship among the three. (Author/AM)

Describes early word usage in four children aged 1.6 to 1.9. The research investigated the children's use of words whose referents are unknown to them. (Author/AM)