LINGUIST List 10.365

Tue Mar 9 1999

Qs: Language rights, Deictic shift, Second language

Editor for this issue: Jody Huellmantel <jodylinguistlist.org>



We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

Directory

  • Larry Rosenwald, Language rights
  • Fergus, like as a prompt
  • Laura Wagner, "motherese" in SLA

    Message 1: Language rights

     Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 17:05:33 +0000
    From: Larry Rosenwald <lrosenwaldWELLESLEY.EDU>
    Subject: Language rights


    A sociologist colleague of mine, a guy named Tom Cushman, has just started to edit a magazine called the _Human Rights Review_. He was asking for ideas about topics for particular issues, and I suggested to him that there was some very interesting work being done in the area of language rights. He was attracted by the idea, and might like to devote an issue to this topic. I gave him some names of people to consider, but I have only a cursory knowledge of what's being done in the field today, so I told him I'd post a query on LINGUIST. If you have ideas about the subject - what such an issue should include, whom he might ask to contribute - or if you yourself might like to contribute to such an issue - could you write him directly at tcushmanwellesley.edu ?

    Thanks very much,

    Larry Rosenwald Wellesley College Department of English

    Message 2: like as a prompt

     Date: Tue, 09 Mar 1999 08:37:49 -0500
    From: Fergus <fergusccpl.carr.lib.md.us>
    Subject: like as a prompt


    Currently I am interested in researching like as a prompt for deictic shift in discourse, particularly when followed by a verbal or nonverbal recreation - as in, "He was like, 'What-EVER.'" or "His hair was all, like, 'Boosh!'" or "I was like, 'Damn.'"

    I am curious if there is a body of work that has covered this already, or if there is a current theoretical perspective on this construction.

    Message 3: "motherese" in SLA

     Date: Tue, 09 Mar 1999 12:22:00 -0500
    From: Laura Wagner <wagnerpsych.umass.edu>
    Subject: "motherese" in SLA


    I'm trying to find any references about the usefulness of using "motherese" type properties (especially the exaggerated pitch contours, but other properties are of interest as well) in teaching a second language.

    Thanks!

    Laura Wagner

    Department of Psychology University of Massachusetts - Amherst wagnerpsych.umass.edu