September 27, 2019 Conversation analysts, like Loughborough University’s Elizabeth Stokoe, suggest this is because the word “any-“ has a closing-down function. It tends to be used as a token gesture. Think about meetings that end with the chair asking “Any other business?”. How often are other issues raised at this point? Perhaps, with one word substitution, we would be more willing to raise extra concerns – “Is there something else you would like to raise?

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190919-the-simple-words-that-save-lives

September 23, 2019 Learning a language and growing up to be a competent member of a community run parallel to each other, but not always: 

“Learning a language and growing up to be a competent member of a community means becoming tuned to certain features of the social and physical environments of that community, knowing how to attend to what feature and when and knowing what behaviors are called for in response to that attention” [Andresen, 2016: 24].

September 21, 2019 A piece of most damaging criticism to stylistic interpretation was launched in 1966 by Helen Vendler:

“If linguistics can add to our comprehension of literature, someone trained in linguistics should be able to point out to us, in poems we already know well, significant features we have missed because of our amateurish ignorance of the workings of language” (G. Leech. Language and Literature)

September 17, 2019 Here is one more must-read for you: 

Andresen, Julie Tetel. Carter, Phillip M. Languages In The World: How History, Culture, and Politics Shape Language.

September 13, 2019 Discourse management refers to the ability to produce extended written and spoken texts, for example conversations.

Example
Discourse management is often a criteria in formal evaluation of spoken and written language.

In the classroom
We use a range of devices to produce effective discourse, including cohesion and coherence, paralinguistic tools, different communicative functions, and conversational principles. Some of these can be taught explicitly, for example features of cohesion and functions. Others develop through practice in managing discourse in activities such as guided and free conversation, roleplay, drama, and presentations.

Further links:

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/mystery-sand

September 11, 2019 Reading social information accurately is an essential skill, and one most of us devote an immense amount of effort to practising. Indeed, wondering what’s going on inside someone else’s head is one of humanity’s greatest fascinations – alongside trying to influence it.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190905-how-our-brains-get-overloaded-by-the-21st-century

September 7, 2019 Excellent instruction may be possible only if schools are organized in optimal ways; if facilities, curriculum materials, and support services function adequately; and if children's home languages are taken into account in designing instruction.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED416465.pdf