6.321 Qs: ASL proficiency, Firthian, Grammar, Rogue prepositions

The Linguist List linguist at tam2000.tamu.edu
Wed Mar 1 12:41:41 UTC 1995


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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-321. Wed 01 Mar 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines: 129
 
Subject: 6.321 Qs: ASL proficiency, Firthian, Grammar, Rogue prepositions
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Asst. Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
               Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
               Ljuba Veselinova <lveselin at emunix.emich.edu>
 
-------------------------Directory-------------------------------------
 
1)
Date: 28 Feb 1995 00:17:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: GLICK at vaxsar.vassar.edu (Douglas J. Glick)
Subject: ASL proficiency
 
2)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 15:18:12 +0100
From: firth at hum.auc.dk (Alan Firth)
Subject: Firthian (Socio)linguistics
 
3)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 08:26:30 -0600
From: jhaaxis at cat.com.local (Jeffrey H. Allen (AXIS CONTRACT))
Subject: Grammar course
 
4)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 10:27:53 -0600 (CST)
From: Stephen Wechsler (wechsler at uts.cc.utexas.edu)
Subject: rogue prepositions
 
-------------------------Messages--------------------------------------
1)
Date: 28 Feb 1995 00:17:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: GLICK at vaxsar.vassar.edu (Douglas J. Glick)
Subject: ASL proficiency
 
I've been asked by the dean here at Vassar College, if there are any
standard measures of proficiency in ASL. She is trying to put together
course and test requirements and needs relatively specific information. Can
anyone help her out here?
 
Douglas J. Glick
Department of Anthropology
Vassar College
doglick at vassar.edu
 
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2)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 15:18:12 +0100
From: firth at hum.auc.dk (Alan Firth)
Subject: Firthian (Socio)linguistics
 
I am currently working on a book that addresses the interrelationship of
(institutional) context and discourse, and am almost inexhorably drawn to
J.R. Firth's (no relation) notion of 'Context of Situation'. Is anyone
working with this (theoretical) issue - i.e. the applicability of Firthian
views on 'context' to actual analyses of situated discourse? I am familiar,
of course, with the Halliday et al. 1964 collection (In Honour of J.R.
Firth), and Firth's own publications, but not with any recent researches.
Would anyone be able to provide me with references of potentially relevant
sources, not least those that attempt a present-day appraisal of the
'context of situation' notion?
Dr. Alan Firth
Aalborg University, Denmark
 
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3)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 08:26:30 -0600
From: jhaaxis at cat.com.local (Jeffrey H. Allen (AXIS CONTRACT))
Subject: Grammar course
 
 
I am looking for a grammar book and/or course that can allow me to teach the
basics of grammar in a time frame of 4-6 hours, including hands-on exercise
time.  The target group would have high school/first year college level
English skills but have worked in the business sector for many years and have
not necessarily continued reinforcing English skills through the college
education track.
 
The book/course must emphasize teaching the essentials of grammar (eg N,V,Adj,
Adv, Prep, articles, demonstratives, connectors, phrases, clauses, relatives,
comparative, superlative, etc) to technical writers that are neither English
nor foreign language specialists.  I do not want a writing seminar or book
that aims at teaching typical business writing styles (memos, letters, faxes,
e-mail, etc), vocabulary buildup, commonly confused homonyms, avoiding sexist
language, use of capitalization and punctuation, and the like.  I need a real
grammar course that can review the essentials to such a target group within
the time fram mentioned above.
 
Please send your suggestions directly to me at either of the following:
 
jhallen at indiana.edu
 
OR
 
USCATRHL at IBMmail.com
 
Thanks in advance.
 
Jeff Allen
 
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4)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 10:27:53 -0600 (CST)
From: Stephen Wechsler (wechsler at uts.cc.utexas.edu)
Subject: rogue prepositions
 
I am looking for examples of prepositions heading what appear to be
complement PPs which are not normally assumed to be lexically
subcategorized by the verb (or other governor), but instead are licensed
by pragmatic context. Examples:
 
1. This system penalizes people FROM pursuing that option.
        [where the penalty prevents or dissuades them from pursuing...]
 
2. He coughed TO the auctioneer.
        [where coughing is understood as a signal]
 
If you happen to see anything like this, please send it to me at:
wechsler at uts.cc.utexas.edu
Thanks.
 
--Steve Wechsler
 
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