Hyperfluency, defined as discourse that is inappropriate and incompetent in the target audience's estimation, and its relationship to composition pedagogy are discussed. It is argued that hyperfluency can signal the growth of an individual's linguistic resources. (16 references) (Author/LB)

If literacy is to increase the autonomy and social standing of previously illiterate persons rather than to domesticate and further subordinate them, reading and writing must be imbued with genuine empowering potential. A case study from rural Nicaragua, set against an account of adult literacy for revolutionary change, is presented. (37…

The multiethnic nature of Dutch society is discussed, particularly the extent of educational underperformance among ethnic minority children. The possible role of language in this underperformance is examined in terms of bilingual education, home language instruction in primary schools, and government policy. (Author/LB)

Personal letter writing, a major literacy event in Tuvalu, an independent island nation near Fiji, is strongly influenced by culture-specific discourse conventions such as religion. The influence is evident in the vernacular, but also in English letters of Tuvaluan biliterates, whose native patterns of discourse are transferred across literacies.…

Examination of the interactions of five teachers working with multiethnic classes of five and six year olds in the United Kingdom found that the teacher interacted less frequently with black than white children and also spent less time with black students discussing particular tasks. (21 references) (Author/CB)

Analysis of kindergarten students'"pretend reading" of a wordless picture book indicated that the well-read-to children possessed implicit knowledge of the role of the writer of narrative by providing appropriate information and creating constrained and vivid images solely through linguistic means. (17 references) (Author/CB)

A comparison of adolescent perspectives on bilingualism and English as a Second Language with official policy views considers how to actually incorporate adolescent perspectives, which were more far reaching in their cultural frame of reference and in their sense of social and linguistic possibility, within proposals for language awareness…

It is argued that a shift from impressionistic measures of assessment to criterion-referenced measures provides a more detailed profile of the writing abilities of young adult writers. The usefulness of the Staged Assessments in Literacy (SAIL) scheme developed at the University of Manchester as a measure in multilingual settings is described. (45…

A stage of research is reported in which teachers assessed the performance of 15 boys and girls who participated in group discussions as part of the General Certificate of Secondary Education English oral examination. Teachers were found to use different criteria to evaluate the contributions of boys compared to girls. (nine references) (Author/LB)

The notion of critical linguistics is examined, and it is argued that the diverse objectives usually given for Language Awareness programs appear to be given desocializing weightings in actual materials. Ways that Critical Language Awareness can be incorporated into a family history writing project are described. (20 references) (Author/LB)

In this sociolinguistic study of the language patterns of 10 young mother-tongue Panjabi-speaking children, the children are educated in England and first exposed to English at about age 3, resulting in sequential acquisition of bilingualism. Clear patterns of language choice are reported. (33 references) (Author/LB)

Examines the problem of high attrition rates after the introductory compulsory year for students studying languages other than English (LOTEs) in Australian high schools. A quantitative study is described that determined students' intentions to continue with language studies in the following year. Implications for LOTE teaching are discussed. (51…

Argues for a critical language awareness (LA) and for LA to be closely linked to the development of learners' practical language capabilities. The paper offers a critical evaluation of three major programmatic statements about LA: Committee for Linguistics in Education (1985); National Congress on Languages in Education (1985); and Hawkins (1984).…

Analyzes the interpersonal skills of 14-year-old girls and boys (n=15) who were participating in group discussions as part of the oral test for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GLCE). The analysis focuses on the pupils' use of minimal responses, interruptions, and questions that draw others into the discussion. (26 references) (GLR)

Reports on a study that investigated metacognitive strategy use by a pair of students working with a computer database. Strategies are inferred from analysis of the discourse, and features of a metacognitive environment are discussed. (13 references) (GLR)