Lesson 1 Key Terms

Question 1

antonym

Answer 1

A word that differs only in the opposite value of a single important feature
Ex) hot and cold, tall and short

Question 2

bilingual

Answer 2

Fluent in two languages; uses two languages on a daily basis

Question 3

bound morpheme

Answer 3

Meaning unit that cannot occur alone but must be joined to a free morpheme
Ex) -ish, -ness, dis-, pre-, -ed, -ing,

Question 4

code switch

Answer 4

Process of varying between two or more languages

Question 5

communicative competence

Answer 5

Degree of success in communicating, measured by the appropriateness and effectiveness of the message

Question 6

deficit approach

Answer 6

Notion that only one dialect of a language is inherently correct (or standard) and that others exhibit some deficit (or are substandard)
Ex) Language racism

Question 7

dialects

Answer 7

Subcategories of a parent language that use similar but not identical rules
Ex) American English vs British English

Question 8

discourse

Answer 8

Aspect of language concerned with how a set of utterances is used to convey a message

Question 9

free morpheme

Answer 9

Meaning unit that can stand alone
Ex) chair, cat, bus, apple, run, fast

Question 10

language

Answer 10

A socially shared code for representing concepts through the use of arbitrary [made up] symbols and rule-governed combinations of those [made up] symbols

Question 11

linguistic competence

Answer 11

Native speaker’s underlying knowledge of the rules for generating and understanding conventional linguistic forms

Question 12

linguistic performance

Answer 12

Actual language use, reflecting linguistic competence and the communication constraints

Question 13

metalinguistics

Answer 13

Consideration of language in the abstract, stepping back from language to make judgments about correctness or appropriateness
-Important for reading and writting

Question 14

morpheme

Answer 14

Smallest unit of meaning; indivisible (cat) without violating the meaning (what is) or producing meaningless units (ca, t)
-two types, free and bound

Question 15

morphology

Answer 15

Aspect of language concerned with rules governing change in meaning at the intraword level
Ex) the study of the meaning of words

Question 16

nonlinguistic cues

Answer 16

Coding devices that contribute to communication but are not a part of speech
Ex) gestures, body posture, eye contact, head and body movements, facial expressions, and physical distance or proximity

Question 17

paralinguistic codes

Answer 17

Vocal and nonvocal codes that are superimposed on a linguistic code to signal the speakers attitude or emotion to clarify or provide additional meaning

Question 18

phoneme

Answer 18

Smallest linguistic unit of sound, each with distinctive features that can signal a difference in meaning when modified

Question 19

phonology

Answer 19

Aspect of language concerned with the rules governing the structure, distribution, and sequencing or speech-sound patterns
Ex) study of speech sounds

Question 20

pragmatics

Answer 20

Aspect of language concerned with language use within a communication context
Ex) what is meant

Question 21

register

Answer 21

Situationally influenced language variations, such as motherese (baby talk)

Question 22

selection restrictions

Answer 22

Constraints of specific word meanings that govern possible word combinations
Ex) words that prohibit other words from being used in the same area

Question 23

semantic features

Answer 23

Perceptual or functional aspects of meaning that characterize a word
Ex) boy = young, male, human
*have a + or - sign in front to indicate if a feature is present

Question 24

semantics

Answer 24

Aspect of language concerned with rules governing the meaning of content of words or grammatical units
Ex) what is said

Question 25

sociolinguistic approach

Answer 25

Considers all dialectal variations to be related to each other and to the idealized standard
Each dialect is a valid rule system and therefore none is better than any other

Question 26

speech

Answer 26

Dynamic neuromuscular process of producing speech sounds for communication; a verbal means of transmission

Question 27

style shifting

Answer 27

The process of varying the style of talking used, such as shifting between formal and informal styles

Question 28

Suprasegmental devices

Answer 28

Paralinuistic mechanisms superimposed on the verbal signal to change the form and meaning of the sentence by acting across the elements of segments of that sentence
Ex) intonation, stress, and inflection

Question 29

Synonym

Answer 29

Word that shares the same or a similar meaning with another word

Question 30

syntax

Answer 30

Organizational rules specifying word order, sentence organization, and word relationships
Ex) sentence making

Question 31

vernacular

Answer 31

Casual, informal, or intimate language register or style
Ex) the common linguistic code in a certain area

Question 32

word knowledge

Answer 32

Verbal word and symbol definitions

Question 33

world knowledge

Answer 33

Autobiographical and experimental understanding and memory of events reflecting personal and cultural interactions
Ex) T.B.D.