A small-scale survey of adult native speakers of British and North American English found that a majority of speakers of the latter prefer the simple past tense in (what the author calls) the category of "past with current relevance." (five references) (CNP)

Trade-off effects among linguistic components were compared in 30 elementary school children with deficits in both oral and written language, deficits only in written language, or normal language development. Analysis of syntax, phonology, and fluency indicated group effects, with trade-offs between some linguistic measures and positive…

A survey of native Spanish speakers from both Spain and Latin America found that the choice of predicate adjectives governing "tough" constructions in Spanish (e.g., "el libro es facil de leer") varies by individual, but some patterns did emerge that suggest "tough" constructions and "it is" constructions…

The author of a new French grammar textbook focusing on the best use of language to express meaning is interviewed. Topics include theories that have influenced the grammarian, distinction between grammar for instruction and grammar for reference purposes, aspects of writing a grammar textbook, and attention given to oral language. (MSE)

Argues that the distribution of lexical stresses in Macedonian and Polish follows from the architecture of metrical theory and can be accounted for by adopting revised obligatory branching (ROB) feet. These are feet where the head dominates an accented syllable and the nonhead may dominate any kind of syllable. (17 references) (JL)

Examines syllable-timed languages (Catalan, Greek, Italian) and stress-timed languages (English, Polish) to show that, in regard to rhythm, both categories behave similarly in several crucial areas. In both language types, the ideal rhythmic pattern involves a separation of stresses and the elimination of clashes. (33 references) (JL)

Through experimentation, concurrent articulation was demonstrated to impair native English subject's ability to compare the internal stress patterns of written words. It was determined that the articulators' movements specifically affected stress analysis of words and this reflected postlexical, off-line processing. (25 references) (JL)

Law students were asked to simulate, in writing, the thinking of a lawyer advising a client. Scripts produced by students and teachers revealed a pattern of repeated syllogisms, or an algorithm, contained within the macrostructure of situation-problem-solution. Variation depended upon the issues discussed or type of law studied. (28 references)…

Two studies on the rhythmical patterns of eye movements during reading, displayed by adolescents with reading disabilities and by undergraduates without reading disabilities, revealed that subjects with reading disabilities exhibited rhythm variability, unpredictability, and lethargic tempos; and subjects who were primed exhibited improved parsing…

Presents an overview (from a broad cultural and historical perspective) of the effect of two languages and cultures on the creation of literature, the cosmopolitanism, and bilingualism of writers, and the effects of the related phenomena of biculturalism and diglossia on the production of literary texts. Shows that bilingualism has been a feature…

This study examined use of connectors in oral narratives of 27 adult American learners of French, classified into four groups according to length of instruction and learning environment (classroom, immersion, mixed). Results show patterns of acquisition generally similar to those of children learning French as a native language and…

Explores the underlying psychology upon which media programs and services are developed and describes the psychology of producing media. Topics include editing, including non-linear editing; emotions; language, or semantics; symbols, or semiotics; production techniques, including narration and user control; motion pictures and television;…

Used the language intensity/message affect coding metric developed by R. Rogan and M. Hammer to evaluate variability in the language of 160 Euro-American and African-American college students responding to a free-response scenario. Results indicate significant differences in the level of affect present in messages communicated by the two groups.…

A collection of Webchat interaction data among English non-native speakers (NNS) and native speakers (NS) is the basis for a microanalytic investigation conducted from a conversation analysis (CA) perspective. The main purpose is to discover patterns and conversational strategies used by participants in this on-line context. (Author/VWL)

A study found that, when temporal characteristics of stops in a Spanish utterance by a native English-speaker were computer-manipulated, native Spanish-speakers' perceptions of the foreignness of the speech were affected. Results imply that Spanish language instruction should include instruction to shorten stops to more Spanish-like values,…