Basic Linguistic Concepts

Question 1

Language Acquisition

Answer 1

process by which individuals learn a language. Langage skills build upon basic linguistic concepts.

Question 2

Four primary concepts related to the sounds of human language

Answer 2

Phonemes, phonetics, phonology, and phonics

Question 3

Phonemes

Answer 3

smallest individual sounds in a word

Question 4

phonetics

Answer 4

sounds of human speech

Question 5

phonology

Answer 5

systematic organization of sounds in lanugages.

Sounds or patterns of sound that are particular to a language

phonology is built upon phonetics.

Question 6

phonics

Answer 6

relationship between symbols of an alphabetic writing system and sounds of a language

Question 7

all languages have basic principles that dictate

Answer 7

the construction and patterns of words, sentences, and paragraphs

Question 8

Morphology

Answer 8

study of forms of words; include prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Each individual meaningful part is called a morpheme (combination of sounds that have meaning in speech or writing and cannot be divided into smaller grammatical parts)

Question 9

Orthography

Answer 9

conventions for proper spelling in a language

Question 10

syntax

Answer 10

rules that govern the construction of words in order to make phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Question 11

Semantics

Answer 11

the study of word or symbol meaning

Question 12

pragmatics

Answer 12

the study of language in use, not in its structure; or the appropriate use of language

Question 13

Segmentation

Answer 13

refers to recognizing the boundaries between words, syllables, or phonemes in spoken lanugage

Question 14

Since each language uses a subset of phonetics, it is important for a teacher of ELLs to

Answer 14

Notice what phonology problems the students encounter. There may be sounds that they have never had to pronounce before or even heard in the past

Question 15

Knowing morphology

Answer 15

forms of words

knowing about morphology helps teachers show students how to build and break apart words

English and many other languages have root words whose meanings are changed when affixes are added

understanding morphology can help ELLs expand their vocabulary by applying know word parts to new combinations, as key skill for decoding

Question 16

Syntax

Answer 16

word orders

there are some words that appear in a certain order, such as the subject or noun followed by the verb or action. English uses a different order than some other common languages.

There are also words that do not have a permanent placement, such as saying a person could “quickly respond” or “respond quickly”

Question 17

Semantics

Answer 17

literal and connotational meanings of words and phrases

teachers can expand ELLs vocabularies authentically and offer direct instruction for finding meaning of words from context clues

Question 18

Pragmatics

Answer 18

Social language skills, language in use

Pragmatics includes what we say and how we say it, including intonation, or how our voices sound when we speak. It incorporates an understanding of all of the other levels of language.

also considers non-verbal communication and appropriateness of style based on the social situation. The speaker needs to know social language norms such as body language and how to take turns speaking in conversations.

for example taking turns without taking over each other is standard in the U.S. other cultures and languages, overlapping speech is more common and not thought of as rude.

Question 19

Language function

Answer 19

specific purpose for using language.

We use language to communicate for various reasons, including to inform, persuade, or entertain.

Question 20

It is important to understand the differences between the levels of language in order to

Answer 20

identify what areas an ELL may be struggling with. Use this identification to target instruction accordingly.

Question 21

Language Register

Answer 21

degree of formality with which one speaks. All degrees are sued and must be learned.

Question 22

Frozen register

Answer 22

when reciting something that never changes. Pledge of allegiance.

Question 23

Formal register

Answer 23

in academic and professional situations
in job interviews, people use the standard conventions of their language when speaking

Question 24

informal register

Answer 24

social and family situations

at gatherings with close friends people typically speak more casually with less adherence to the standard conventions of their language.

Question 25

A story with dialogue that integrates collogial language is a helpful tool

Answer 25

for informal language exposure

Question 26

The expository text provides a great example of

Answer 26

formal language, including sequence words and transitions