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glossary Flashcards

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1
Q

accent

A

the way that people pronounce words

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2
Q

accent variation

A

the way that pronunciations vary between different speakers, or the variation a single speaker might pronounce in different contexts

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3
Q

acrolect

A

a term used to refer to a standard or official language variety in context where creole is spoken

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4
Q

acronym

A

initials that can be pronounced as words

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5
Q

active voice

A

this is when the person or thing doing the action specified by the verb is the subject of the sentence

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6
Q

adjacency

A

the positioning of elements in an interaction,so that one follows on from another, although they don’t have to occur immediately afterwards. elements in an adjacency relationship don’t often occur in adjacency pairs

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7
Q

adjective

A

give more information about nouns

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8
Q

adverbs

A

give more information about verbs

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9
Q

affordances

A

things that are made possible. ( example- a website can be read by many people simultaneously)

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10
Q

aesthetic

A

how the sounds and appearance of words have an immediate sensory effector quality

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11
Q

agent

A

an alternative for the subject in a sentence

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12
Q

alliteration

A

the repetition of consonant sounds in a text, often at the beginning of words

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13
Q

allusion

A

an indirect reference to something else-could also be inter textual in nature

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14
Q

amelioration

A

a process whereby a word or phrase develops more positive connotations

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15
Q

analogy

A

explaining something in terms of something else

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16
Q

antithesis

A

when ideas contrast or oppose one another;a semantic contrast in a text. often used in reasoned argue nets or to create emphasised contrast

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17
Q

anthropomorphism

A

imposing human qualities in the animals and objects around us

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18
Q

arbitrary

A

having no real connection beyond that of social convention

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19
Q

archaism

A

a word that over time has fallen out of common usage

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20
Q

definite article

A

the

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21
Q

indefinite article

A

a or an

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22
Q

aspect

A

refers to the way in which certain grammatical markings on verbs forms indicate whether an action or state is ongoing

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23
Q

assonance

A

the repetition of vowel sounds. can create rhyme

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24
Q

asymmetrical

A

unequal

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25
Q

audience construction

A

in a language study, texts are seen as constructing audiences, not just addressing them. this means that texts create an idea of who the audience is by ‘speaking’ to them in a certain way

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26
Q

auxiliary verb

A

these are verbs that verbs that help other verbs and include the verbs ‘be’ ‘do’ and ‘have’

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27
Q

basilect

A

a term used to refer to an informal language variety in contexts where creole is spoken

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28
Q

behaviourism

A

within studies of language acquisition, a notion of learned behaviour as a set of responses to stimuli

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29
Q

binary opposites

A

elements of a text that hold opposite ends of a notional scale

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30
Q

portmanteau(blending)

A

using parts of existing words to form a new word

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31
Q

borrowing

A

using parts of existing words to form a new word

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32
Q

bound morpheme

A

a morpheme that does not exist as an independent word but adds meaning to a free morphology

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33
Q

british black language

A

a wide ranging label but often referring to a variety used by some speakers wishing the caribbean community in the uk

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34
Q

broadening

A

a process by which words acquire a broader reference

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35
Q

case study

A

an in depth study of a single context that can be used to offer insights for further studies or other cases

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36
Q

categorical overextension

A

inappropriately extended i g the meaning of a label to other member in the same category

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37
Q

child directed speech

A

the speech that parents and caregivers use with children

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38
Q

chronological

A

structured with reference to time

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39
Q

citation

A

a reference to an example of language use or research

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40
Q

clause

A

clauses are grammatical units and can be main clauses which stand on their own or subordinate clauses which cannot stand alone but have accompany main clauses. a main clause gives information about people or things and their states or actions

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41
Q

clause of condition

A

a clause introduced by conjunctions such as ‘if’ or ‘unless’ suggesting that something will happen only if certain conditions are met

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42
Q

clipping

A

colloquial omission of parts of words to create a more casual alternative

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43
Q

code mixing

A

the inclusion of words
and phrases from one language in another

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44
Q

code switching

A

switching between different language in a sustained way

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45
Q

cognitive

A

this refers to thinking processes in the brain

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46
Q

cohesion

A

the way sentences or utterances john together to form a whole text

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47
Q

collocation

A

the regular occurrence of a word or phrase alongside others

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48
Q

colloquial

A

colloquial expressions are items of everyday language used in informal situations

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49
Q

community of practice

A

a group of people who share understandings, perspectives, and form of language use a result of meeting regularly over time

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50
Q

complaint tradition

A

a tradition of complaining about the state of a language

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51
Q

complex sentence

A

a sentence involving at least one main or independent clause and a subordinate clause

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52
Q

compounding

A

adding two existing words together to create a new word

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53
Q

compound sentence

A

two main clauses joined by a connective

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54
Q

comprehension

A

apt he ability to under language which might differ from how much an individual can produce

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55
Q

computer mediated communication

A

human communication that takes place via the medium of computers

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56
Q

concordance line

A

a line of text from a corpus, showing where the searched item occurred within s sentence or utterance

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57
Q

connective (conjunction )

A

a word that joins elements together such as ‘and’ and ‘or’

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58
Q

connotation

A

the associations we have for a word or phrase

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59
Q

consonance

A

the repetition of double consonants in the middle of words

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60
Q

constructed dialogue

A

dialogue that is artificially created rather than occurring naturally

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61
Q

construction (usage-based approach)

A

in language acquisition, constructions are ready-made chunks of language that can be used productively to express many ideas

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62
Q

convergence

A

in a language study changing one’s language to move forwards that of another individual

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63
Q

conversation analysis

A

a field of analysis devised by the sociologist harvey sacks on the routines that occur in spoken language

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64
Q

co-operative principle

A

an idea from the philosopher h.p. grace that in conversations, speakers expect others to share certain basic rules of co-operation such as telling the truth

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65
Q

co-ordination

A

joining elements together by using a co-ordination conjunction

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66
Q

corpus (plural=corpora)

A

a collection of searchable language data stored on the computer

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67
Q

covert prestige

A

status gained from peer group recognition, rather than public acknowledgment

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68
Q

creole

A

a language variety that has developed from a ‘pidgin’ or trade language to become a stable language used by speakers as their mother tongue

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69
Q

critical discourse analysis

A

a type of text analysis that tried to reveal the power structures that are maintained in society through the discourses used

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70
Q

critique

A

a critical analysis that pays attention to all aspects of a text or topic, seeing different perspectives

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71
Q

declarative

A

a clause or sentence that has a statement function

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72
Q

diclinism

A

the idea that language is in a constant decline

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73
Q

deficit model

A

an assumption that something is lacking or deficient

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74
Q

deixis

A

the act of pointing to something by using certain language item s

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75
Q

denotation

A

the literal meaning of words

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76
Q

density

A

in the studies of social networks, density refers to the number of connections that people have

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77
Q

descriptivism

A

the belief that correctness is dependent on context and should be defined by what is appropriate in any context. descriptivists take their norms from observing what the majority of people do, now what any particular authority says they should do

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78
Q

determiner

A

helps to determine what a noun refers to

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79
Q

determinism

A

the idea that language determines the way we think and behave

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80
Q

diachronic variation

A

variation through time

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81
Q

dialect

A

a style of language used within a particular geographical region

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82
Q

dialect levelling

A

the way in which dialect terms have been dropping out of use

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83
Q

dialect levelling

A

the way in which dialect terms have been dropping out of use

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84
Q

diaspora

A

the dispersal of people (and their languages) to different parts of the world

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85
Q

directed writing

A

a writing activity where you are asked to write about a specific brief, rather than inventing your own

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86
Q

discourse

A

a stretch of language(spoken,written or mulitmodal) considered in its own context of use. the plural use of the term -discourses- refers to repeated ways of talking or writhing about a topic

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87
Q

discourse community

A

an alternative term for a community of practise

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88
Q

discourse structure

A

the internal structure of a text

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89
Q

disjunct

A

an adverb that expresses a writer’s or speaker’s attitude

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90
Q

distribution

A

where a feature is used, within the language inventory of an individual or group

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91
Q

divergence

A

in a language study, changing one’s language in order in order to move away from that one one individual

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92
Q

dysphemistic

A

a direct form of language that doesn’t attempt to disguise sensitive or difficult topics

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93
Q

elaborated code

A

an idea advanced by bernstein (and much disputed) that middle class speaker use context free complex forms of language

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94
Q

ellipsis

A

when parts of a written structure are missing. in texts they are indicated by three full stops in a row

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95
Q

emoticon

A

a blend word consisting of ‘emotion’ and ‘icon’ which refers to symbols that express the attitude of a writer in digital contexts where non verbal elements are missing

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96
Q

endearment

A

a term used to address someone without using the using name

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97
Q

endonormative

A

looking within the immediate community for the norms of language use

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98
Q

english as lingua franca

A

the role of english as a bridging language in interactions where it is not everyone’s first language

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99
Q

english as an additional language

A

the use of english where it is not the person’s first language used

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100
Q

epizeuxis

A

spoken repetition of the same word in immediate succession for vehement effect

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101
Q

estuary english

A

a recent accent variety use in south east england which combines RP with some aspects of regional southern accents

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102
Q

ethnography

A

the study of how a group of people communicate, aethnograohers are often part of the community they study

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103
Q

ethnolect

A

a style of language thought to be characterful of a particular ethnic group

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104
Q

etymology

A

the study of word origins

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105
Q

euphemism

A

an indirect form of language that enables speakers to avoid mentioning something unpleasant or offensive

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106
Q

exclamatory

A

when a sentence conveys a strong sense of emotion, sense of alarm or overly strong emphasis

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107
Q

exonormative

A

looking beyond the immediate community for the norms of language use

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108
Q

external factor

A

a factor to do with external forces

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109
Q

eye dialect

A

using the regular alphabet to represent sounds, rather than a phonetic or phonemic alphabet

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110
Q

face theory

A

the idea that we all have a public self-image that we need to project and protect

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111
Q

face threatening act

A

in face theory something that threatens a persons self image

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112
Q

face work

A

the effort we put in to manage our public imagine

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113
Q

familect

A

a style of language used within a family

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114
Q

field specific lexis

A

the language of a certain area

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115
Q

first language

A

the first language learned by an individual, usually in childhood

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116
Q

focus

A

the area where most attention is concentrated

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117
Q

formal

A

designed for use on serious or public occasions where people pay attention to behaviour and appearance

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118
Q

framing

A

the idea that speakers mark their understanding of the context they are in

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119
Q

free morpheme

A

a morpheme that can exist as an independent word

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120
Q

functional

A

emphasising what something is for, it’s purposes

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121
Q

functional theory

A

the idea that language changes because society does

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122
Q

gender

A

the social expectations that arise as a result of being one sex or another

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123
Q

genderlect

A

a style of language thought to be distinctive of either men or women

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124
Q

generic

A

for general use or genera, reference

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125
Q

genre

A

in a language study a type of text in any mode which is defined by its purpose it’s feature of both. in literary fields genre tends to refer primarily to the literary genre of prose,poetry and drama but it can also refer to types of content

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126
Q

genre theory

A

how different genres of writing are structured and how people learn to produce them

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127
Q

gestalt expression

A

the term dental is german for shape or form and refers to the way in which children at certain stage can compress a string of words into a single utterance

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128
Q

global english

A

the idea of english as a worldwide language

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129
Q

glottal stop

A

a closure of the vocal cords. can be used to replace /t/ in some regional accents

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130
Q

grammar

A

the structural aspects of language that tie items together

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131
Q

grapheme

A

visual symbol

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132
Q

graphology

A

all the visual aspects of textual design including colour typeface layout images and logos

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133
Q

grapho phonemic

A

the relationship between symbols and sounds

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134
Q

hegemonic

A

culturally dominant

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135
Q

heterodiegetic narrator

A

a narrator who is not an active participant in the story

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136
Q

heteronormativity

A

a set of norms or expectations based on heterosexuality

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137
Q

homodiegetic narrator

A

a narrator who is an active participant in the story

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138
Q

homonym

A

when one word has multiple meanings

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139
Q

homophone

A

different words that sound exactly the same said said out loud

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140
Q

hybrid

A

are blends of two or more elements

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141
Q

hyperbole

A

deliberate over exaggeration of things for effect

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142
Q

hypernym

A

the name of a category

143
Q

hypophora

A

when an interrogative is immediately followed by an answer

144
Q

hypothesis

A

a proposed explanation for how so,etching will work

145
Q

idiolect

A

the speech patterns of an individual

146
Q

idiom/idiomatic

A

an expression whose meaning is not dependent on the meanings of the word. it contains

147
Q

illiteracy

A

failure to become literate- the ability to read and write

148
Q

imperative

A

when a sentence is issuing a command

149
Q

inference

A

using assumed knowledge toppin order to determine meaning

150
Q

inferential framework

A

knowledge built up over time to in order to understand meanings that are implicit

151
Q

infix

A

a particle added to the middle of a word

152
Q

inflection

A

a morpheme on the end of a word to indicate grammatical relationship or category

153
Q

informant

A

someone who offers information to s researcher

154
Q

initialise

A

initials that cannot be pronounced as words

155
Q

innate

A

something in built, already in place

156
Q

intensifiers

A

a word, usually an adverb, designed to intensify the emotional content of a phrase

157
Q

interlocutors

A

people engaged in a spoken interaction

158
Q

internal factor

A

a factor to do with the internal structure of the language system. For example, English used to have different singular and plural forms of ‘you’: ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ to address an individual or to express closeness, and ‘ye’ and ‘you’ to address groups or to express respect to a powerful individual.

159
Q

international english

A

the idea of English as a language that is used in international contexts of all kinds.

160
Q

intertextuality

A

the way in which one text echoes or refers to another

161
Q

interrogative

A

when a sentence is asking a question

162
Q

intonation

A

tunes, created from variations in pitch, that convey meaning in the speech of a particular language

163
Q

inventory

A

a list of items. For example, in phonology, a list of the sounds used in a person’s accent.

164
Q

isogloss

A

a geographic boundary indicating where certain items of language are used

165
Q

language acquisition

A

the development of language within an individual

166
Q

language acquisition device (LAD)

A

Chomsky’s idea of an innate capacity for language learning in humans.

167
Q

language reform

A

: a term used, usually by liberal commentators, to support the idea of consciously changing language because it is considered unfair to different groups.

168
Q

Lexical priming

A

the way in which some words appear to be ready-made for certain meanings, as a result of their habitual use in some contexts.

169
Q

lexis

A

the vocabulary of language

170
Q

lexis (monosyllabic)

A

words of one syllable

171
Q

lexis (polysyllabic)

A

words of two or more syllables

172
Q

libfix

A

a ‘liberated’ suffix, or one which has been taken from its original context and applied to new situations. Libfixes are creations of their time, for example -gate (from Watergate), is now attached to almost anything scandalous.

173
Q

limitations

A

things that are prevented or restricted. For example, an SMS has no way to
convey the subtleties of non-verbal communication (hence the need for emoticons).

174
Q

lingua franca

A

where speakers don’t share the same first language, a lingua France acts as a kind of bridging language enabling them to communicate. In modern times, English acts as a lingua franca in many parts of the world.

175
Q

linguistic appropriacy

A

the way in which language choices reflect ideas about what is appropriate for any given context.

176
Q

Linguistic relativity

A

the idea that language shapes our thinking but does not completely control it.

177
Q

Linguistic variable

A

an item of language that is likely to vary and is therefore of interest to sociolinguists.

178
Q

Listing (asyndetic)

A

the listing of elements that excludes any form of co-ordinating conjunction. The prefix ‘a’ basically means ‘absence of’.

179
Q

Listing (syndetic)

A

the listing of elements that features a co-ordinating conjunction.

180
Q

Literacy

A

refers primarily to reading and writing, including the new types of reading and
writing that occur in digital contexts.

181
Q

Litotes

A

deliberate downplaying of things for effect.

182
Q

macro level

A

operating on a large scale

183
Q

marking

A

in language study, identifying an item as different from the norm

184
Q

matched guise technique

A

an experimental technique where a single actor puts on a different accent for different audiences but keeps the content of the speech the same

185
Q

matronyms

A

names that reflect female lines of inheritance

186
Q

meanings

A

messages that are communicated. Meanings are never fixed but are negotiated between speakers (or writers) and listeners (or readers) and vary considerably according to context.

187
Q

mesolect

A

in contexts where creole is used, a middle style of language between standard and colloquial varieties.

188
Q

metaphor

A

a language strategy for bringing two unrelated ideas together in order to suggest a new way of looking at something. Metaphors are common where something is difficult to understand because it is complex or abstract, so it is compared with something simpler or more concrete.

189
Q

methodology

A

the study of different ways to research

190
Q

micro level

A

operating on a small scale

191
Q

mismatch statement

A

in child language studies, when a child makes a connection based on what is normally the case but isn’t the case on this particular occasion.

192
Q

modal verbs

A

modal verbs accompany main verbs are often used to express degrees of certainty, desirability, or obligation.

193
Q

mode

A

speech and writing are called different modes. Digital communication can draw on both of these modes, so is often called a hybrid form of communication.

194
Q

modifier

A

modifiers add information. For example, adverbs add information to verbs (run quickly), and adjectives add information to nouns (a lovely day).

195
Q

monostylistic

A

having only one style of communication

196
Q

morpheme

A

a morpheme is an element of meaning smaller than a word. Morphemes often mark grammatical features. For example, ‘talked’ has two morphemes – ‘talk’ and ‘ed’, which indicated that the talk occurred in the past. Morphemes can also occur as bigger elements, such as the suffixes ‘ship’ and ‘hood’ in the nouns ‘partnership’ and ‘neighbourhood’.

197
Q

morphology

A

the expect of grammar that refers to grammatical markings

198
Q

multicultural london english

A

a recent variety combining elements of the language of different ethnic groups, particularly Afro-Caribbean English. The variety arose in London but has spread to different parts of the UK

199
Q

multicultural urban british english

A

a label that refers to the way in which Multicultural Urban English has spread to other large conurbations in the UK.

200
Q

multimodal

A

a multimodal text employs more than one mode of communication – for example, by using images as well as words, or by drawing on an aspect of speech as well as writing.

201
Q

multiplexity

A

in studies of social networks, multiplexity refers to the number of ways in which two individuals might relate to each other, for example, as friends, workmates, and family members.

202
Q

multiplicative meaning

A

the process by which one part of a text does more than just add to the meaning of another part. For example, readers understand images in the context of the words that surround them, and vice versa.

203
Q

narratee

A

a fictional receiver, the person the text appears to be aimed at

204
Q

narrator

A

a fictional ‘teller’ , the apparent voice behind the text as created by the author

205
Q

narrowing

A

a process by which words acquire a narrower reference. For example, ‘deer’ used to refer to animals in general, not to a specific animal.

206
Q

nationality

A

an aspect of identity that refers to the country

207
Q

nationality

A

an aspect of identity that refers to the country of a persons birth or citizenship

208
Q

nativist/ nativism

A

a belief that language acquisition relies on an in built capacity for language in humans

209
Q

negative face need

A

in face theory, the need to not be imposed on by another person

210
Q

nexus

A

a cluster of connection

211
Q

nominalisation

A

the process of turning different grammatical elements into nouns or noun phrases. For example, in the title of the TV comedy show Feed My Funny, the adjective ‘funny’ has been nominalized, or turned into a noun.

212
Q

non chronological

A

not structured with reference to time but shaped by other factors

213
Q

non linear

A

in studies of literacy, non linearity refers to new forms of literacy such as web pages, where we don’t read by line but often click through further pages

214
Q

non literacy

A

an oral society is non literate

215
Q

non regional

A

an alternative name for an RP accent

216
Q

non standard

A

different from normal or majority usage

217
Q

non verbal behaviour

A

communication that takes place via the body

218
Q

noun phrase

A

a phrase that has a noun or pronoun as its main word

219
Q

nurture

A

the idea that language development results from being socialised by people around the learner

220
Q

object

A

the thing or person receiving end of the action of the verb

221
Q

object permanence

A

the idea that objects exist even when they cannot be seen

222
Q

observer’s paradox

A

the paradox that the only way to collect natural speech is to observe it - the very act of observation is likely to destroy is naturalness

223
Q

omniscient narrator

A

an ‘all-knowing’ figure who can report everything, including the thoughts inside all of the characters heads

224
Q

one word stage

A

also called holophrastic stage, this refers to the stage of language acquisition where a single word can stand for a whole expression

225
Q

onomatopoeia

A

the way in which some words appear to echo the sounds the describe

226
Q

oracy

A

speaking and listening, the skills required to communicate in spoken language

227
Q

original writing

A

writing of all kinds that derives from individual ideas

228
Q

orthography

A

the spelling system

229
Q

overextended

A

applying a label to more referents than it should have

230
Q

overgeneralisation

A

applying a rule and assuming that every example follows the same systems, without realising that there are exceptions.

231
Q

overt prestige

A

status that is publicly acknowledged

232
Q

paralanguage

A

aspects of an individuals vocal expression

233
Q

parallelism

A

the creation of patterns in a text, through repetition of words or phrases (phonological parallelism) or by balancing meanings (semantic parallelism)
for deliberate effect.

234
Q

passive voice

A

use of the passive voice turns elements around, so that the thing or person being acted upon goes at the front. So, when changing the active sentence ‘I ate a good dinner’ to a passive, it becomes ‘A good dinner was eaten (by me)’. The last part is in brackets because it can be left out and the sentence still makes sense.

235
Q

patient

A

an alternative word for the object in a sentence

236
Q

patois

A

an alternative term for creole, sometimes spelt ‘patwa’ to distance the language
from apparent connections with Europe, and to suggest how it should be pronounced.

237
Q

patronyms

A

names that reflect male lines of inheritance

238
Q

pejoration

A

a process whereby a word or phrase develops more negative connotations. For example, ‘cunning’ used to mean knowledgeable.

239
Q

phatic

A

language that is devoid of content but that supports social relationships

240
Q

phonemic alphabet

A

an alphabet for transcribing general sounds, suitable for a specific
language. An individual sound is called a phoneme.

241
Q

phonetic alphabet

A

an alphabet for transcribing the sounds of all the words languages

242
Q

phonetics

A

the study of the sound system. Phonetics refers to the physical production and reception of the sound, while phonology is a more abstract idea about all the sounds of a particular language.

243
Q

phonological system

A

the system of sounds within any language variety

244
Q

pidgin

A

the trade language usually not the language of either of the speakers

245
Q

pilot study

A

a study done in advance of a main study in order to test out different approaches

246
Q

pivot schema

A

the use by children of certain key words as a ‘pivot’ to generate many utterances

247
Q

politeness

A

an aspect of pragmatics that refers to the cultural rules of a community and regulates how social relationships are negotiated. Everyday use of the term ‘polite’ tends to be associated with surface aspects such as table manners and saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. These aspects are connected with the academic concept, but it goes much deeper than this, including all aspects of cultural rules about appropriate language use in social engagements.

248
Q

political correctness

A

a term used, usually by conservative commentators, to object to the idea of consciously changing language because it is considered unfair to different groups.

249
Q

positive face need

A

in face theory, the need for positive reinforcement, a feeling that we are appreciated and liked by others.

250
Q

possessive determiners

A

determiners, as the name suggests, help to determine what a noun refers to – in this case, ownership (‘my’, ‘our’).

251
Q

post colonial

A

the time since former colonies gained their independence

252
Q

post telegraphic stage

A

a developmental stage that goes beyond children’s use of
abbreviated speech.

253
Q

post vocalic /r/

A

pronouncing an /r/ after a vowel where there is an r in the spelling. For example, ‘farm’, ‘sir’, ‘horse’.

254
Q

pragmatic rules

A

the unspoken rules that operate in interactions between people who share a common understanding.

255
Q

pragmatics

A

assumptions made from what is meant or inferences drawn from what is said or written

256
Q

predicate statement

A

an alternative term for mismatch statement

257
Q

prefix

A

a particle added to the front of a word

258
Q

preposition

A

a word that typically indicates direction, position, or relationship, such as ‘into’, ‘on’ or ‘of’.

259
Q

prescriptivism

A

the belief that there is an absolute authority determining what is correct usage; that correctness is something absolute and unchangeable, based on rules established in the past.

260
Q

production

A

the language that people can produce, which might be different from how much they can understand.

261
Q

productive vocabulary

A

vocabulary that can be put to use

262
Q

progressive form

A

the ‘ing’ ending in words such as ‘walking’ and ‘running’, indicating
ongoing activity.

263
Q

pronoun

A

pronouns can stand in place of nouns, hence the term ‘pro-noun’. Standard English personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, it and one (singular); we, you, and they (plural).

264
Q

propaganda

A

the deliberate spreading of biased information

265
Q

prosodics

A

prosody is the melody that our voices create via prosodic aspects such as rhythm and intonation

266
Q

random fluctuation theory

A

the idea that language change is not a logical and ordered process

267
Q

received pronunciation (RP)

A

an accent traditionally associated with high social status. ‘Received’ refers to the idea of social acceptance in official circles.

268
Q

reference

A

reference within a text is a general term for the various ways items are related to others. Can be endophoric or exophoric.

269
Q

referent

A

the thing or person being referred

270
Q

reflectionism

A

the idea that language reflects the society that produces it

271
Q

register

A

a form of specialist language

272
Q

relativiser

A

another word for a relative pronoun, for example, ‘which’, ‘who’, ‘that’, often used at the front of a subordinate clause.

273
Q

repertoire

A

the range of language forms or styles used by a speaker

274
Q

repetition

A

repeating of words or phrases

275
Q

representation

A

something that stands in place of something else - how something appears to be but not how it really is

276
Q

resistance identity

A

an identity that goes against mainstream culture

277
Q

restricted

A

used only within a specific context

278
Q

restricted code

A

an idea advanced by Bernstein (and much disputed) that working-class speakers use context-based, limited forms of language.

279
Q

retroflex

A

a particular way of producing the sounds /t/ and /d/ with the tip of the tongue curled back and touching the roof of the mouth.

280
Q

rhetoric

A

rhetoric is the study of persuasive language, an area of study dating back to ancient Greece.

281
Q

rhetorical question

A

a question that is posed for its persuasive effect and not because the speaker really expects an answer.

282
Q

rhotic

A

accents where speakers produce the post-vocalic /r/, such as in many rural accents in the south-west region of the UK.

283
Q

salient

A

most important,prominent or noteworthy

284
Q

sapir-whorf hypothesis

A

the idea, derived from the work of Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, that our language constructs our view of the world and that it is difficult or even impossible to think beyond it.

285
Q

scaffolding

A

an idea from Vygotsky’s theory of learning that structures need to be in place to help learners on to the next stage.

286
Q

schwa

A

/ə/, sometimes called the middle or central vowel in English because of where it is produced in the mouth

287
Q

scope

A

how far a study extends, how much is covered

288
Q

script

A

a plan for what speakers are going to say and do

289
Q

secondary sources

A

books and articles where researchers and commentators put forward
different theories and ideas about language.

290
Q

second language L2

A

the second language learned by an individual

291
Q

segment

A

to be able to segment something is to perceive the boundaries or breaks between
the units. This is a skill that is gradually acquired. Adults may not be aware of how they run
words together in speech. For example, a child once asked a teacher how to spell ‘sponner’:
he’d heard ‘Once upon a time’ as ‘One sponner time’.

292
Q

self reported usage

A

people describing their own language use

293
Q

semantics field

A

a group of terms from the same domain. For example, names for food or
aspects of computer communication.

294
Q

semantic reclamation

A

taking language that has had negative connotations and trying to overturn them by using the language in new ways

295
Q

semantics

A

refers to the meanings of words and expressions. Semantics can also refer to
meaning in a broader sense, i.e., the overall meaning of something.

296
Q

semiotics

A

the study of how signs and symbols work within human communication

297
Q

seriation

A

the idea of objects being in a series

298
Q

sex

A

a classification of people into ‘man’ or ‘woman’ based on biological characteristics

299
Q

shibboleth

A

a language item used as a marker or test of group membership

300
Q

slang

A

language that is used in informal contexts and widely recognised

301
Q

social constructivism

A

the idea that reality is socially constructed and that groups construct
knowledge for each other.

302
Q

social group

A

individuals who share interests and connections with others, or who are classified as having something in common

303
Q

social network

A

a network or relations between people in their membership of different
groups.

304
Q

social practices

A

the ways in which people in groups habitually behave

305
Q

social variation

A

the variation that occurs as a result of the social groups that people
connect with. For example, groups based on common interests such as sport or cookery.

306
Q

sociocultural

A

related to social and cultural factors

307
Q

sociolect

A

a style of language used within a particular social group

308
Q

sociolinguistics

A

the study of the relationship between language use and social factors

309
Q

solidarity

A

a feeling of connection with others, mutual support

310
Q

sound symbolism

A

the way in which sounds are used to represent ideas – for example, in
onomatopoeia, where sounds represent noises. There is no logical connection between the
sounds and the ideas they represent.

311
Q

speech event

A

a spoken interaction of a recognisable type

312
Q

standard

A

used or accepted as normal or average. in language study, socially agreed usage this is familiar to most language users

313
Q

standard english

A

a language system that acts as an agreed common language,
especially for formal uses. This primarily refers to the writing system of English.

314
Q

standardisation

A

the process by which a form of language is developed and used as a
common code.

315
Q

stereotype

A

a stereotype is based on the idea that whole groups of people conform to the
same, limited, range of characteristics.

316
Q

sticklerism

A

an intrusive concern with correcting others’ language use

317
Q

storyboard

A

a set of images to represent the action within a moving text such as TV programme or advertisement

318
Q

stress

A

the emphasis placed on certain words, through volume, significant pauses beforehand, or inflexion.

319
Q

stress timed

A

intonation that is based on applying stress at regular intervals

320
Q

style

A

in language study a distinctive way of speaking or writing for different conte t

321
Q

style model

A

an example of a style of writing that has helped to shape ideas of a piece of original writing

322
Q

subject position

A

the perspective taken on a topic, where some aspects are foregrounded and emphasised while others are downplayed

323
Q

subordination

A

a subordinate clause is one that depends on another to make complete sense

324
Q

suffix

A

a particle added to the end of a word

325
Q

super standard forms

A

language use that intensifies the standard forms of mainstream culture

326
Q

superlative

A

an adjective that displays the most extreme value of its quality, e.g., most, biggest, smallest, worst, furthest, farthest, quietest, zaniest. Most of the time superlatives end with ‘-est’.

327
Q

syllable based

A

intonation that is spread across syllables evenly

328
Q

synchronic variation

A

variation across society at a single point in time

329
Q

synonym

A

words that have a similar meaning

330
Q

syntax

A

how words are arranged, or the word order that. is typical of a language

331
Q

taboo

A

something that is off limits or forbidden

332
Q

tag question

A

a question tagged onto the end of a statement

333
Q

tautology

A

producing redundancy in meaning by saying the same thing twice

334
Q

telegraphic stage

A

a stage where children produce abbreviated speech that, like SMS
messages in the modern world, missed out the grammatical structures and markings that
are not essential for understanding.

335
Q

tense

A

this refers to the way which verbs can indicate time, for example the ‘ed’ ending on a verb such as ‘look’ indicates past time

336
Q

theolinguistics

A

the study of the relationship between language and religious faith

337
Q

topic marker

A

an utterance that establishes the topic of conversation

338
Q

topic shifter

A

an utterance that moves a conversation onto another topic

339
Q

transcript

A

a record of what speakers said and did

340
Q

triadic structure

A

grouping in threes, either through repetition or through structures (either within a sentence or paragraph). This can be for emphasis or to add a sense of gathering momentum to a point being made.

341
Q

turntaking

A

the way in which participants take turns at talk in interactions

342
Q

two word stage

A

this involves children using two words to create mini-sentences, with the
word order often resembling adult speech.

343
Q

under extended

A

applying a label to fewer referents than it should have.
For example, a child saying ‘milk’ to refer to milk in their own cup, but not a picture of some
milk in a book.

344
Q

usage based approach

A

in language acquisition studies, the idea that children use ready-
made chunks of language to create many different meanings. These chunks of language are
termed constructions.

345
Q

verb

A

a word that represents an action or process: in simple terms a ‘doing’ word.

346
Q

active verb

A

a word that represents a physical action, e.g., jump, run, kill, slap, kiss, make
love, wallop, sleep.

347
Q

stative verb

A

a word that represents a process that is often only mental, e.g., think, love, ponder, believe, (to) fear.

348
Q

virtusous error

A

a mistake that has an underlying logic showing that learning has taken place

349
Q

vocabulary

A

the number of words available to an individual

350
Q

vocal fry

A

a vocal effect where the speaker produces a rasping, creaky sound by blowing air
through the vocal chords.

351
Q

wave model

A

a model of language change that likens it to throwing a stone into a pond,
with the ripples representing change spreading from a central point.

352
Q

world englishes

A

varieties of english that are used in different countries

353
Q

zone of proximal development

A

in Vygotsky’s theory of learning the difference between
what a learner can do without help and what they can do with help.

english lang (7 decks)

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