Basic Linguistic Concepts Flashcards
Language Acquisition
process by which individuals learn a language. Langage skills build upon basic linguistic concepts.
Four primary concepts related to the sounds of human language
Phonemes, phonetics, phonology, and phonics
Phonemes
smallest individual sounds in a word
phonetics
sounds of human speech
phonology
systematic organization of sounds in lanugages.
Sounds or patterns of sound that are particular to a language
phonology is built upon phonetics.
phonics
relationship between symbols of an alphabetic writing system and sounds of a language
all languages have basic principles that dictate
the construction and patterns of words, sentences, and paragraphs
Morphology
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)
Orthography
conventions for proper spelling in a language
syntax
rules that govern the construction of words in order to make phrases, clauses, and sentences.
Semantics
the study of word or symbol meaning
pragmatics
the study of language in use, not in its structure; or the appropriate use of language
Segmentation
refers to recognizing the boundaries between words, syllables, or phonemes in spoken lanugage
Since each language uses a subset of phonetics, it is important for a teacher of ELLs to
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
Knowing morphology
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
Syntax
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”
Semantics
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
Pragmatics
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.
Language function
specific purpose for using language.
We use language to communicate for various reasons, including to inform, persuade, or entertain.
It is important to understand the differences between the levels of language in order to
identify what areas an ELL may be struggling with. Use this identification to target instruction accordingly.
Language Register
degree of formality with which one speaks. All degrees are sued and must be learned.
Frozen register
when reciting something that never changes. Pledge of allegiance.
Formal register
in academic and professional situations
in job interviews, people use the standard conventions of their language when speaking
informal register
social and family situations
at gatherings with close friends people typically speak more casually with less adherence to the standard conventions of their language.
A story with dialogue that integrates collogial language is a helpful tool
for informal language exposure
The expository text provides a great example of
formal language, including sequence words and transitions
