Lesson 1 Key Terms Flashcards
antonym
A word that differs only in the opposite value of a single important feature
Ex) hot and cold, tall and short
bilingual
Fluent in two languages; uses two languages on a daily basis
bound morpheme
Meaning unit that cannot occur alone but must be joined to a free morpheme
Ex) -ish, -ness, dis-, pre-, -ed, -ing,
code switch
Process of varying between two or more languages
communicative competence
Degree of success in communicating, measured by the appropriateness and effectiveness of the message
deficit approach
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
dialects
Subcategories of a parent language that use similar but not identical rules
Ex) American English vs British English
discourse
Aspect of language concerned with how a set of utterances is used to convey a message
free morpheme
Meaning unit that can stand alone
Ex) chair, cat, bus, apple, run, fast
language
A socially shared code for representing concepts through the use of arbitrary [made up] symbols and rule-governed combinations of those [made up] symbols
linguistic competence
Native speaker’s underlying knowledge of the rules for generating and understanding conventional linguistic forms
linguistic performance
Actual language use, reflecting linguistic competence and the communication constraints
metalinguistics
Consideration of language in the abstract, stepping back from language to make judgments about correctness or appropriateness
-Important for reading and writting
morpheme
Smallest unit of meaning; indivisible (cat) without violating the meaning (what is) or producing meaningless units (ca, t)
-two types, free and bound
morphology
Aspect of language concerned with rules governing change in meaning at the intraword level
Ex) the study of the meaning of words
nonlinguistic cues
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
paralinguistic codes
Vocal and nonvocal codes that are superimposed on a linguistic code to signal the speakers attitude or emotion to clarify or provide additional meaning
phoneme
Smallest linguistic unit of sound, each with distinctive features that can signal a difference in meaning when modified
phonology
Aspect of language concerned with the rules governing the structure, distribution, and sequencing or speech-sound patterns
Ex) study of speech sounds
pragmatics
Aspect of language concerned with language use within a communication context
Ex) what is meant
register
Situationally influenced language variations, such as motherese (baby talk)
selection restrictions
Constraints of specific word meanings that govern possible word combinations
Ex) words that prohibit other words from being used in the same area
semantic features
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
semantics
Aspect of language concerned with rules governing the meaning of content of words or grammatical units
Ex) what is said
sociolinguistic approach
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
speech
Dynamic neuromuscular process of producing speech sounds for communication; a verbal means of transmission
style shifting
The process of varying the style of talking used, such as shifting between formal and informal styles
Suprasegmental devices
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
Synonym
Word that shares the same or a similar meaning with another word
syntax
Organizational rules specifying word order, sentence organization, and word relationships
Ex) sentence making
vernacular
Casual, informal, or intimate language register or style
Ex) the common linguistic code in a certain area
word knowledge
Verbal word and symbol definitions
world knowledge
Autobiographical and experimental understanding and memory of events reflecting personal and cultural interactions
Ex) T.B.D.
