An ELT Glossary B Flashcards
Backchaining
➡️ Example:
Teacher: “I went to the supermarket on Saturday morning. Listen and repeat – morning.”
Students: “Morning.”
Teacher: “On Saturday morning.”
Students: “On Saturday morning.”
Backchannel language
Definition : The verbal signals given by a listener to indicate attention, surprise, interest etc but without the intention of “taking over” or participating equally in the discourse.
Examples : “Really?” “Uh-huh”, “Did you?” “That’s amazing.”
backshift
➡️ Definition: Backshift is the grammatical process in reported speech where verb tenses in the original statement are shifted back to align with the reporting verb, typically from present to past or past to past perfect.
➡️ Example:
Direct speech: “I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said.
Indirect speech with backshift: She said she would call me the next day.
back vowel
➡️ Definition: A vowel sound produced by raising the back of the tongue.
➡️ Example: /uː/ as in “food.”
Backwash (or washback)
➡️ Definition: Backwash refers to the influence that a test’s content and structure have on teaching and learning before the test. It can be positive or negative.
➡️ Examples:
Positive Backwash: A writing test encouraging teachers to focus on essay writing, argument structure, and language accuracy.
Negative Backwash: Test preparation for IELTS focusing only on skimming and scanning techniques, neglecting broader reading and language development.
✅ Bare Infinitive
➡️ Definition: The bare infinitive is the base form of a verb without the particle “to.” It is commonly used after modal verbs, auxiliary verbs, or in certain fixed expressions.
➡️ Example:
After modals: “We can start now.”
After auxiliary verbs: “He didn’t see her.”
✅ Base Form of the Verb
➡️ Definition: the verb devoid of any inflections.
➡️ Example: With imperative force: “Stop that!”
Battery - ‘ A test battery’
➡️ Definition: A test consisting of more than one activity type, composed of a group of activities where scores may be assessed individually or combined into one overall score.
➡️ Example: The Cambridge English PET includes:
Reading and Writing test
Listening test
Speaking test
The scores are combined into a single result, graded as Fail, Pass, Pass with Merit, or Pass with Distinction.
Behaviourism
➡️ Definition: A theory of learning where behaviour is shaped by stimulus, response, and reinforcement.
➡️ Example:
Teacher: “I like apples.”
Student: “I like apples.”
Teacher: “Good!”
Beginner/True beginner/False beginner
➡️ Definition: A learner working towards CEFR Level A1, developing basic command of the language.
➡️ Definition: A learner with no prior knowledge of the language.
➡️ Definition: A learner with some prior knowledge, often from previous studies, now needing to reactivate it.
➡️ Example:
A true beginner starts with no knowledge of English, while a false beginner may remember some phrases like “How are you?” from school.
Bilabial consonants
➡️ Definition: Consonant sounds made using both lips.
➡️ Example:
/p/, /b/, /m/, /w/
Binomials
➡️ Definition: Fixed lexical chunks consisting of two words of the same word class, usually joined by a coordinating conjunction.
➡️ Example:
“sick and tired”
Bilingual education
➡️ Definition: An educational programme where students are taught in two languages, typically their first language (L1) and a second language (L2).
➡️ Example:
English-speaking children attending a French-medium school in Canada.
Bisyllabic
➡️ Definition: A word that consists of two syllables.
➡️ Example:
“Carpet” /ˈkɑː.pɪt/
Blend
➡️ Definition: Words created by combining parts of two other words, usually the beginning of one and the end of another.
➡️ Example: “Smog” (from smoke + fog)
