English Language & Literature A - Unit 2 Section A: Varieties of Spoken English Flashcards
Mode
The medium of communication used, usually speech or writing.
Paralinguistic Features
Non-verbal aspects of communication such as intonation or pausing, which works alongside language to help a speaker convey the meaning effectively.
Pause
A short break in a spoken text, recorded in seconds.
Micropause
A very short pause in a spoken text.
Transcript
An exact written representation of speech.
Utterance
A unit of spoken language, the end which is indicated by a pause or change of speaker. This term is often used to describe a ‘spoken sentence’ as an utterance may not follow the expectations and grammatical conventions of a written sentence
Phonetic Speech
The spelling of words to represent exactly how they are pronounced.
Context
The social situation, including audience and purpose, in which language is used; this situation is an important influence on the language choices made by speakers and writers.
Continuum
An imaginary line running from one extreme to another showing other possibilities in between. In discussing speech texts, a transcript of a casual conversation would be at one end and a formal, legal declaration such as the words of the wedding service or taking an oath in court at the other.
Turn-Taking
The pattern of spontaneous interactive speech in which participants cooperate or compete for the roles of listener/speaker.
Adjacency Pair
A pattern of speech in which one utterance is followed by an appropriate linked response.
Chaining
The linking of a series of adjacency pairs to build up a conversation
Phatic Utterance
Words spoken to establish social contact and express friendly intentions towards another person, rather than to convey significant information (e.g nice weather today).
Interruption
When a speaker begins to talk before the previous speaker has finished, in an attempt to take over the conversation and gain control.
Overlap
When a speaker begins to talk before the previous speaker has finished, perhaps because of their enthusiasm to join in the discussion or to show support for the speaker. An overlap is generally more cooperative and supportive, and less competitive, than an interruption.
Fillers
Sounds such as ‘erm’, ‘um’ and ‘er’ , which speakers use to fill pauses in speech. Some speakers also use expressions such as ‘y’know’ and ‘like’ as verbal fillers.
Side Sequence
A sequence of utterances inserted into a conversation, which causes the main topic of the conversation to be temporarily suspended.
Tag Question
A phrase tagged on to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. e.g ‘We’re going to the zoo today, aren’t we?’ Words such as ‘right’, ‘yeah’ or ‘Ok’ can also be used with the same function, e.g ‘See you at Sevenish, yeah?’
Repair
A self-correction in spontaneous speech.
Hedge
A word or phrase such as ‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’, or ‘sort of’ used to soften the impact of what is said or to make speech sound more polite.
Accent
The characteristic pronunciation, features and speech rhythms of a speaker, usually related to regional or social influences.
Dialect
A variety of a particular language characterised by distinctive features of accent, grammar and vocabulary and used by people from a particular geographical area or social group.
Elision
The running together of words or the omission of parts of words, eg. ‘gonna’ for ‘going for’ or ‘y’know’ for ‘you know’
Rhetoric
The technique of using language persuasively in order to influence the opinions and behaviour of an audience.
Triplet
A pattern of three repeated words or phrases.
Antithesis
The Juxtaposition of contrasting words or phrases to create a sense of balance or opposition between conflicting ideas.
Repetition and Replacement
A pattern in which some words or phrases are repeated and other replaced, e.g ‘We must plan for a strong economy, we must plan for full employment, we must plan for a healthy nation.’
Bathos
A sudden descent from elevated language or subject matter to the ordinary or the commonplace. Often used for comic effect.
Rhetorical Question
A question that implies its own answer and is used to not elicit information but to achieve a persuasive effect (for example, ‘Are we to stand idly by while our rights are trampled by a dictator?’)
Antonym
A word or phrase that is opposite in meaning to another, e.g ‘hot and cold’, ‘fat and thin’.
Oxymoron
When apparently contradictory terms are placed together e.g ‘bitter sweet’
Understatement
The deliberate adoption of restrained language, often to achieve an ironic or humorous effect.
Discourse Markers
Words or phrases that give structure to speech or writing, enabling a writer or speaker to develop ideas, relate points to each other or move from one idea to the next.
