Discusses work on age in interaction in terms of constructivist epistemologies, relating research on ageism to work on adult-child interaction in a cultural comparative perspective. By focusing on identity in interaction, applied linguistics combines constructivist developments with close textual analyses and maintains that it is possible to avoid…

Evaluates the contribution of Coupland's research project on language and aging from the perspective of an African interest in gerontology. Argues that some of the underlying concepts need to be reconsidered if the project is to be extended to a different context. Outlines the strengths and frustrations inherent in multidisciplinary research. (17…

Presents issues regarding the practical relevance of applied linguistics and the relationship between researchers and the institutions and practitioners with whom they work. Suggests that applied linguistics needs to constitute its intellectual base within practical work outside the academy rather than applying theory to practice. (54 references)…

Argues that applied linguistics should take as its central focus the concept of "language in the world." Emphasizes that it is necessary to examine the autonomy or interdependence of linguistic, cognitive, and social processes and to define research questions addressing the connection of these processes in an interdisciplinary fashion. (17…

Examines applied linguistics as a research project analogous to other disciplines and presumes a need for cross-disciplinary perspectives in language studies. Argues that applied linguistics shares a position intersecting with neighboring sciences and with all other sciences, each of which demarcates its own space in contested and shared ground.…

Focuses on the tensions existing between theory and practice and between homogeneity and diversity in applied linguistics (AL). Argues that theory and practice need not be seen as separate activities, and that diversity is an inevitable, desirable consequence of the interdisciplinary nature of AL. (26 references) (Author/CK)

Attributed stages of generic structure to eight language testing interviews of adult students of English as a Second Language on the basis of apparent interviewer purpose, an attribution justified by the distribution of speech function types and mood choices between them. The study adopted the intermediate level of transaction in analyzing the…

Investigates, within the context of the question-answer framework of a foreign language oral proficiency test, the interactive nature of spoken discourse between Canadian students and assessors when there is trouble in talk as perceived by the assessors, with a focus on how they accommodate to the students. The study has implications for rater…

Portrays the effects of demographic, social, and cultural dislocation experienced by members of the Australian Strelley Aboriginal community on observed shift in languages, such as Nyangumarta and other Western Desert languages. Examines changes in code mixing and the need for English as the language of formal education. (23 references) (Author/OK)

Examines why learners of Mandarin use overt nouns and pronouns to a greater extent than native speakers. Findings indicate that no single syntactic structure is a significant contributor to the different rates of optional ellipsis but that some learners use ellipsis only in syntactic contexts permissible in English and most use it in a narrower…

Investigates the effect of competing structures (pragmatics, semantics and morphosyntax) on the development of Arabic subject-verb agreement morphology and marking in Arabic interlanguage among Australian students of Arabic. Findings indicate that linguistic complexity influences the processing strategies employed and determines the order of…

Within the context of the public forum of the political media interview, this study tests the hypothesis that women avoid answering questions less than men and examines the gendered use of avoidance strategies. Findings reveal a gender difference with women using significantly more preferred answers than men. (20 references) (Author/CK)

Examines the different attitudes of native speakers in understanding a written genre of Modern Standard Chinese--sales letters. The study focuses on the use of formulaic components appearing in real Chinese sales letters and compares these components with the advice given in textbooks. Findings reveal a gap between business teaching and business…

Examination of existing research on language learning and cross-cultural competence and an analysis of the popular press in three Australian states suggests (1) the wider community believes language learning results in target culture understanding and (2) languages learned in a formal class setting do not necessarily lead to cross-cultural…

College second language programs offer more to students than knowledge of the language. Language study can challenge students intellectually and creatively and contribute to their academic and social development, even when language study is begun at this level. Value is found in the substance, process, and outcomes of language study. (Author/MSE)