Focuses on the development of pragmatic competence by adult non-native users of English. One aim of the study was to verify whether exposure to models of requesting devices used by a competent user would be beneficial to a less competent user. Results suggest that such exposure is beneficial. (Author/VWL)

Argues for the use of reflective program evaluation in the South African context as a dynamic agent of improved practice. Provides an overview of program evaluation and explores the reasons that make quantitative evaluation of limited value. Discusses the attempts that have been made to overcome the inadequacies of this kind of evaluation.…

Suggests ethnic identity has yet to receive the attention it merits in such fields as linguistics and discourse analysis. Advocates using large corpus data to explore the evolving contexts of usage for ethnically relevant terms. The advocacy is illustrated with the results of a survey of all the uses of the term "Indian" in the corpus of South…

Examines one sub-community within the continuum of English usage in South Africa, a group of male migrant workers in Cape Town who retain close ties with their original homes in the Transkei. Characterizes their interlanguage English and presents a developmental analysis of negation in this interlanguage, in ways that are uncommon in new English…

Discusses some of the segmental and suprasegmental features that give Swazi English a unique accent. (Author/VWL)

Reports on an aspect of a larger project broadly examining the role of language in health care practices. Discusses the effects of dementia on the speech of an aging white Xhosa speaker in the context of a health care institution. Dementia has not been conclusively demonstrated in black Africans. Shows the effects of dementia on the responses…

Issues in the study of bilingualism and multilingualism in India and Pakistan are examined, including the delineation of linguistic boundaries, defining a society that is multicultural and yet has developed a "communication ethos" based on a core of common experience, the difficulty in interpreting language role and defining language usage in a…