D
Daedalus Integrated Writing Environment n
a package of computer tools to help students develop their skills in
writing and critical thinking, designed to run on a local area network
(LAN).
Daedalus Interchange n
in computer assisted language learning, a software program used in
language courses that allows synchronous communication, peer editing,
and citation instruction, among other features.
dangling modifier n
(in composition) a phrase or clause that does not modify anything in a
sentence or which refers to the wrong word in a sentence.
For example, in the sentence:
Walking home from school, the fire engine came screeching around the
corner.
the phrase walking home from school modifies fire engine, making an inap-
propriate sentence. This could be corrected to:
Walking home from school, I sawthe fire engine come screeching around
the corner.
The phrase walking home from school, now modifies I in the main clause,
and the sentence is no longer inappropriate
data n(singulardatum)
(in research) information, evidence or facts gathered through experiments
or studies which can be analyzed in order to better the understanding of a
phenomenon or to support a theory.
data bank n
see database
database n
alsodata bank n
a large body of information or data which is intended to be used for a
specific purpose. In a language programme, a database which contains
information about students’ tests scores on all tests taken in the institution
may be established. Later, this database may be used to determine students’
rates of learning or the effectiveness of tests for particular purposes. In first
or second language acquisition research, a database may contain examples