Key Terms Flashcards
Monophtong
Single vowel sound
- no change in the mouth
Diphthong
Dual vowel sound
- vowel sound changes
Place of articulation
Where the sound is created
Manner of articulation
Way in which a sound is produced and hits the eardrum
Accdentism
The idea that upbringing / social class / education can be reflected in accents
Linguistic prestige
The degree of esteem and social value attached to language varieties
Covert Prestige
The use of non-standard English to suit situational needs
- Expresses community and group identity
- Situations which regard non-standard language or dialect of high linguistic prestige
Overt prestige
The use of standard English in formal situations
- Expresses power and status
Sociolect
A variety of language which can be associated with a particular social group
- Based on age / occupation / gender / socio-economic status (class)
Idiolect
Language of a single individual
- Individual linguistic characteristics (grammar / lexical choices)
Received Pronunciation
Every letter is pronounced to the highest degree
- Devoid of slang / abbreviations
- Standard English
- Prescriptivist
Sociolinguistics
The study of the relationship between social factors and language
Social Networks (English)
A community of language users
- Sometimes known as a speech community
- Groups of language users who interact with one another
Prosodic Features
Spoken language features
Interjection
An abrupt remark
E.g. Oh my God! / Shit!
Language Contact
The combination of languages resulting in dialect
- How dialect is established
Repeated Interruptions (Indicates…?)
Personally affected by something
- Trying to get their point across
Conversational Repair
Hypercorrection of a person’s own contribution in a conversation
- Can show dishonesty
Monologue / Dialogue
M: Language from an individual speaker
D: Multiple people engaging in a conversation
- Pre-planned (not spontaneous)
- Not ‘raw’ discourse
- E.g. literature / stories
Topic Shift
The change of topic / subject
Phonological Sequencing
Alliteration synonym; repetition of beginning consonant sounds (consonants only)
Modal Obligation Auxillaries
When an instruction is implied
- E.g. you must complete your homework
Topic Loop
When a topic is changed but returns to the initial topic later
Symmetrical Exchange
When two speakers have the same level of power in a conversation
Asymmetrical Exchange
When two speakers have different levels of power
Topic Manager
A speaker who organises / handles the topics in a conversation
Mitigation
Using language to reduce the seriousness of what is being said
Conditional Sentences
The suggestion that a condition will be incurred if an action is done
- E.g. if you don’t respond soon, further action will be taken
Embedded Assumptions
When a speaker makes an assumption based on paralinguistic cues
- E.g. assuming the listener is really interested in what the speaker has to say
Prevarication
Not answering direct questions
Tautology
Saying the same thing twice but using two different words to do so
- E.g. it’s 7am in the morning
Synthetic Personification
Describes how powerful institutions address the mass as individuals to create a feeling of friendliness and build rapport
- Coined by Fairclough
Utterances
Spoken Sentences
Paralinguistic Features
Anything that goes beyond language
Marking
When there is a need to distinguish language which holds preconceptions
- Nurse -> Male Nurse
Clipping
When a part of a word is clipped or removed completely to aid informality
- bro = brother
Abbreviations
The shortening of a word
- Dr = Doctor
Backchannelling
Showing engagement in conversation
- Nodding / eye contact / mhm / yeah
- TOO MUCH = Sarcasm
- TOO LITTLE = Sense of uneasiness
Hypercorrection
When a person quickly corrects themselves after making a mistake in spoken language
Completion Point
In a conversation, the end of a turn (usually marked by the pause at the end of an utterance)
Filled Pause
A break in the flow of speech using sounds such as ‘er’ and ‘em’
Adjacency Pairs
When a conversation follows a question / answer format
Implicature
When something is implied but the true meaning is different
- Actual meaning of language
- Sarcasm = often extended implicature
Verbal Hygiene
Cameron
Correcting others’ grammar
Hedges
Phrases which sound less abrupt and soften the way in which something is said.
- Used more by women (Trudgill & Cheshire)
- Used to come across more agreeable, likeable and polite
Attention Getting Phrases
Used to get attention
- Can you believe that?
Bald On Record
When there is no attempt to mitigate the face-threatening act that’s made
Bald Off Record
A politeness strategy where a face-threatening act is only implied, not directly stated
RELIES ON IMPLICATURE / PRAGMATICS
Phatic Language
Language which is devoid in context but supports social relationships
- E.g. Small talk
Deictic Reference
A comment which is context dependent
ISOLATES THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE GROUP
