This paper examines changes in the functional distribution of five languages, Atayal, Southern Min, Hakka, Mandarin and Japanese in Taiwan based on a survey the author conducted on four ethnic groups. The results show four types of reorganization in language use. (1) Language shift; Mandarin has been replacing the languages Atayal and Hakka in the following order: 'public settings', 'mental arithmetic/praying', 'neighborhood', 'family'. (2) Bilingualism; In respect to Southern Min, Mandarin has not been having such a strong influence. The use of both Southern Min and Mandarin can be observed in this group. Southern Min is also used by other groups in 'public settings', where it seems to be competing with Mandarin. (3) Language maintenance; Mandarin is the dominant language for Mainlanders although they also use Southern Min in some domains. (4) Lingua franca; Japanese, which is still used among older informants, functions as a lingua franca, an argot, and a language of mental arithmetic.

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In this paper I will consider a semiotic notion of 'indexicality' from a linguistic anthropological perspective. As a point of departure, I take an overview of the two frameworks of indexes presented by Silverstein (1976) and Ochs (1990), who emphasized the importance of nonreferential values of signs. We then observe how these theories have influenced the ways in which ethnographers and discourse analysts interpret cultures and speech in context. Below I tentatively examine three domains of application in which indexicality and related notions are predominantly active and essential parts of language use: i) text and intertextuality, ii) social interaction, and iii) cognitive styles.

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The main purpose of this paper is to make a general survey of past studies on a specific language in Soviet society which was formed under the influence of Soviet ideology, namely what is called the Soviet totalitarian language. The study of the language of totalitarianism can provide a basis for a general theory of the politics of language and the relationship between language, ideology and power. Also, as it can cover many important areas of study, it will make a contribution to sociolinguistics. Studies on this topic can be roughly classified into the following groups: descriptive studies on social dialects in Soviet society, sociological content analysis, critical linguistic analysis based on the Newspeak model, analyses of linguo-cultural practices, and discourse analysis. For further systematic and comprehensive study on this topic, it is desirable not only to make the most of the benefits of previous studies, but also to pay more attention to the whole communication system of Soviet society.

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The paper presents a purpose for, and a methodology of, interaction analysis in intercultural communication, based on schema theory. The purpose is to examine interaction management, which is a subcategory of intercultural communication competence. Three problems with intercultural communication studies are discussed; (1) lack of theoretical linkage between culture and its influence on human interaction strategies, (2) an ambiguous definition of "culture" and its criteria and (3) the lack of a methodology including both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The paper attempts to propose schema theory and other theoretical frameworks, definitions of culture and its criteria, and the methodology including qualitative and quantitative analyses.

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