A study examined pragmatic routine and indirection as regularly-used strategies for accomplishing linguistic action that, while conventional, can pose problems for non-native speakers. Two kinds of conventionalities are distinguished: conventionality of means (kinds of semantic structure that have acquired a standard illocutionary force, such as,…

The value of markedness theory in constructing explanatory models of linguistic meaning is questioned, particularly the claim that a single relationship (marked vs. unmarked) accounts for all differences in asymmetrically paired terms. It is argued that because unmarked terms vary greatly in the distributions that identify them as unmarked,…

Conjunctions (e.g., "if, and, so") appear in varied contexts and are associated with a wide range of interpretations. The theoretical options concerning the lexical specifications of these items are: (1) multiplicity of senses; and (2) restricted senses augmented by conversational implicatures. It is proposed here that the latter…

Patterns of plural selection in Armenian suggest that lexical representations of morphemes must include predictable syllabic structure, contrary to most theories of phonology, and that some phonological rules such as syllabification may precede morphological rules, contrary to the theory of distributed morphology. Furthermore, certain segments at…

The history of linguistics in the United States is chronicled from the founding of the American Philosophical Society in 1769 to the emergence of the American Linguistic Society in 1924. An introductory chapter outlines the goals of linguistic historiography and the rationalizations behind the definitions of the periods examined here. Subsequent…

Arguing that all language is communication, but very little communication is language, this paper explores questions of method and evidence in the human science practice of communicology. The first part of the paper analyzes the dialectical question of methodology in which method as procedure is implicated with thought (logos) as judgment per se,…

A study examined the relative contributions of age, sex, and education to verbal and nonverbal fluency in a normal population. Sixty-seven subjects aged 12 to 71 years performed paper-and-pencil tasks proven to be dependent on the right and left hemispheric modalities of the frontal lobes. Multiple t-tests were applied to determine whether…

Literary Yiddish shows a high frequency of declarative sentences with the subject present and the verb in sentence-initial position, the so-called consecutive order. This construction was analyzed in one collection of 17 short narratives and with reference to a hypothesis of German grammarians regarding a similar structure in German. In this…

An analysis of the use of the English particle "also" in discourse is presented. First, previous analyses of "also" and of related particles "even, only" are outlined and critiqued. It is argued that these analyses draw inadequate conclusions about the particles' usage patterns and meaning. A formulation of the…

The status of text/discourse research in South Africa is analyzed. The discussion begins with some background information on the nature of discourse research, and proceeds to an overview of the whole field of discourse research in that country and then a look at research on Afrikaans discourse. Both general trends and specific areas of research…

In a statement-response-reply format, a proposition concerning the study of semantics is made and debated in three papers by two authors. In the first paper, it is proposed that semantics is not the study of the concept of meaning, but rather a neurolinguistic issue, despite the fact that semantics is linked to context. It is argued that semantic…

Research concerning the success factors in language immersion education is reviewed, focusing on five major schools of thought. First, the traditional model for immersion research, implemented in a Montreal (Canada) suburb is examined. Then three studies of the influence of affective variables in immersion program success are examined, and it is…

A discussion of the process of learning to write in a second language (L2) looks at how theory and research on first language (L1) composition and L2 acquisition influence the study of L2 composition. Three perspectives are examined: (1) the approach to writing that focuses on the text itself, including comparison of native L1 and L2 rhetorical…

Designed for persons interested in using "A Manual for Investigating American English in the South: Field Procedures" as a tool rather than using the approach suggested in the manual, this guide provides a preliminary set of instructions for using the manual, including comments on appropriate fieldwork orientation. Section II outlines…

Most research on language transfer has been conducted on the first and second language. This paper describes a case of transfer from the second language to the third language, specifically the influence of French (L2) on the learning of English (L3). The study focuses on French-English lexical cognates and suggests that although the learners…