Richard Brecht | University of Maryland (original) (raw)

Papers by Richard Brecht

Deixis in Embedded Structures

0.0. The aim of this paper is to examine a broad range of problems concern ing deictic reference ... more 0.0. The aim of this paper is to examine a broad range of problems concern ing deictic reference and, in particular, its role in embedded structures. It will be demonstrated that a consistent and general analysis of all deictic phenom ena will provide a working algorithm for dealing with a major problem in the syntax and semantics of embedded structures: that of the determination of the point of orientation of deictic elements. In what follows I shall first briefly discuss the traditional definition of deixis and then the specific problems of deixis in sentential complements and other embedded structures.

Russian Language Journal, 2005

There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage t... more There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of things…. Whenever his enemies have the ability to attack the innovator they do so with the passion of partisans, while the others defend him sluggishly, so that the innovator and his party alike are vulnerable.

Relative vs. Absolute Reference in Embedded Tense Forms

The Slavic and East European Journal, 1975

Page 1. Relative vs. Absolute Reference in Embedded Tense Forms ... This generalization accounts ... more Page 1. Relative vs. Absolute Reference in Embedded Tense Forms ... This generalization accounts for the use of tense in the following sentences: ...

The foreign language perspective

Intercultural Pragmatics, 2005

An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie. This site uses cookies to improve performance. If you... more An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie. This site uses cookies to improve performance. If your browser does not accept cookies, you cannot view this site. Setting Your Browser to Accept Cookies. There are many reasons why a cookie could not be set correctly. ...

Foreign Language Annals, 1991

and the American Council of Teachers of Russian Walker has done a masterful job of laying out the... more and the American Council of Teachers of Russian Walker has done a masterful job of laying out the issues which are of concern to the so-called LCTs. In these brief remarks I would like to underline the basic premises of the field of LCT, as it is emerging, and of its agenda as described by Walker. The focus here will be on the distinction of "less commonly taught" vs. "commonly taught'' from the point of view of commonalities and differences. While the emerging identity of the LCTs is, in the main, helpful, particularly as organizations like ACTFL, CAL, and NFLC continue their support, there are dangers inherent in this development which deserve attention. Just as the success of, say, Russian in some schools is perceived to threaten the German program, so does the possible emergence of another organization and another agenda give rise to concerns about competition and diffusion of efforts in the FL community. These concerns are unnecessary, provided that the substance of the distinction between "less commonly taught" and "commonly taught" is clarified both from the point of view of issues and organization! I. Issues In this country, LCT means any language except French, German, and Spanish. The popularity of these languages is, in part, an accident of history; they are the languages most closely associated with the ethnickultural heritage of the majority of Americans. The LCT wmmunity,

Summary Remarks, National Briefing on Language and National Security

Foreign Language Annals, 2002

Canadian-American Slavic Studies, 1980

Predictors of Foreign Language Gain during Study Abroad

The Modern Language Journal, 1996

... Learning-style (" aptitude") data are included in this study in the form of... more ... Learning-style (" aptitude") data are included in this study in the form of both raw ... MLAT5) learning strategies, which are ana-lyzed separately to see exactly which aptitudes and strategy ... Predictors of Foreign Language Gain During Study Abroad 57 student is already at the ...

Demographic and sociopolitical predictors of␣American attitudes towards foreign language policy

Language Policy, 2006

Despite the controversies over the English-only movement, bilingual education, and language and n... more Despite the controversies over the English-only movement, bilingual education, and language and national security, there have been only sporadic studies of the state of representative public opinion on these issues. The year 2000 General Social Survey (GSS) asked seven new questions on language policy of their national probability sample of 1397 respondents aged 18 and older. A factor analysis suggested that public responses to their seven questions clustered around two distinct dimensions, one on issues associated with more restrictive views of the role of languages other than English in the United States, and the other on support for second language acquisition in high school. The five questions that tapped the dimension of the more “restrictive” FL (foreign language) attitudes varied markedly in support – from the 78% who favored making English the “official” American language to the 22% who favored elimination of bilingual education. The other two GSS questions tapped the dimension of basic support for learning a second language in high school (with 64% and 75% support). In other words, support for the two types of issues was essentially independent of each other.When two scales were constructed to measure each dimension, their appeal was found to come from notably different constituencies in the public. Older, more conservative and Republican respondents were more likely to support restrictive English-only policies, but none of these groups were significantly less favorable to teaching FL in high school. At the same time, both the pro-FL and anti-restrictive dimensions did draw more support from certain similar demographic groups – in particular, from the college-educated, from women, from non-whites, from residents of urban areas and on the coasts – and from that quarter of the GSS sample who said they were able to speak a second language. In other words, these groups were significantly both more opposed to restrictive policies toward use of non-English languages and they were significantly more supportive of taking FL courses in high schools. This held true, and almost as strongly, after statistical regression controls for the other predictors. Although levels of agreement on these questions may have shifted since 2000, a small 2005 national survey was able to replicate the existence of these two separate dimensions and the relative degrees of public support for each policy.

The Modern Language Journal, 2006

has indicated immediate needs in a range of languages, including Arabic, Central and South Asian ... more has indicated immediate needs in a range of languages, including Arabic, Central and South Asian languages, Chinese, Farsi, Indonesian, Korean, Kurdish, Philippine languages, Russian, Serbian/Croatian, Spanish, Sub-Saharan African languages, and Turkish. 2 In addition, the United States must also recognize its ongoing need for skilled speakers of hundreds of languages, both commonly and rarely taught, to facilitate trade, diplomacy, and collective security. The nation's requirements for proficiency in LOEs arise in (a) national security, in other words, political, military, and diplomatic concerns; (b) economic competitiveness, that is, trade, tourism, and quality control of goods and services; 3 and (c) social well-being, which Brecht and Rivers (2000, 2005) defined as domestic foreign language concerns related to areas such as public health, international development, assimilation and social justice, civil rights. 4 Of these, language

Policy Issues in Foreign Language and Study Abroad

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1994

As exchange and study abroad programs proliferate and the range of countries and languages involv... more As exchange and study abroad programs proliferate and the range of countries and languages involved broadens, the role of language competence in such programs is in vital need of examination. Long-neglected policy issues, like standards and assessment as well as program design and management, must be addressed. Programs relying on or developing language competence are in need of a new national architecture, which brings to bear expertise from the field of second language acquisition, target languages and cultures, and exchange and study management.

Semantic Syntax, 1974, in Oxford Readings in Philosophy

This digest outlines the reasons for and challenges of developing the language skills of heritage... more This digest outlines the reasons for and challenges of developing the language skills of heritage language speakers and describes one effort to carry this out, the Heritage Languages Initiative. Specific sections address the following: developing language skills of U.S. residents; the range of language proficiencies of heritage language speakers; the fragility of heritage languages; limitations of current language programs; deficits in infrastructure; and the formation of the Heritage Languages Initiative. (WL) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. vl 4 DIGEST EDO-FL-02-02 MAY 2002 Tapping a National Resource: Heritage Languages in the United States RICHARD D. BRECHT AND CATHERINE W. INGOLD, NATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER, WASHINGTON, DC vl

A study undertaken by the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) and National Foreign Lan... more A study undertaken by the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) and National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) is described. The project was designed to examine the process and results of language study abroad. The first phase of the project was a statistical analysis of the relationship between student characteristics (demographic and educational) and pre-program and post-program assessments of students' speaking, listening, and reading abilities. Subjects were 658 students of Russian participating in a semester abroad. The second phase was an ethnographic study of student language-learning behaviors and experiences in the target country, documented by self-report diaries, observations, interviews, and recordings. The present report focuses on the methodology and results of the second phase. It chronicles the data collection process (setting, participants, instruments, and data collected), and summarizes the coding, analysis, and insights gained from student calendar diaries and narrative data. Gender-related differences are discussed briefly. Additional analyses, drawn from audio-and video-recorded data and case studies, are also described briefly. Implications of the findings for second language acquisition research are analyzed. A brief bibliography is included. (MSE)

Foreign Language Annals

Challenges A new public advocacy strategy is needed. Can government and nongovernmental organizat... more Challenges A new public advocacy strategy is needed. Can government and nongovernmental organizations, business, as well as heritage and indigenous communities, both domestic and foreign, unite to grow grassroots support, enhance private-public-sector demand, and demonstrate the cognitive, educational, and professional benefits of multilingualism? 1 Joint National Committee for Languages-National Council for Languages and International Studies

The Demand for Multilingual Human Capital in the U.S. Labor Market

Foreign Language Annals, 2017

Literacy, Numeracy, and Linguacy: Language and Culture and General Education

Liberal Education, 2000

Abstract: As globalization increases, American citizens need to be fluent in world languages and ... more Abstract: As globalization increases, American citizens need to be fluent in world languages and cultures. Undergraduate education has not kept pace with this reality, though K-12 language study has increased. Proposes the term linguacy to characterize an ...

Testing Format and Instructional Level with the Informal Reading Inventory

Reading Teacher, 1977

... Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 1971. Powell, WR and CG. Dunkeid. "... more ... Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 1971. Powell, WR and CG. Dunkeid. "Validity of the IRI Reading Levels." Elementary English, vol. 48 (1971), pp. 637-42. Spache, GD and EB Spache. Reading in the Ele mentary School. Boston, Mass.: Allyn & Bacon, 1973. ...

Nflc Policy Issues, Nov 1, 1999