P2SA Linguistic Concepts

Question 1

Cultural Orientation Model (Alsagoff)

Answer 1

is the use of language to index a localist orientation or a globalist orientation

Question 2

Linguistic Capital (Bourdieu)

Answer 2

is a form of cultural capital, where one’s proficiency in a particular language variety will predetermine their access to socio-economic opportunities and their social status

Question 3

community of practice (Eckert & McConnell-Ginet)

Answer 3

is an aggregate of people who are mutually engaged in some common endeavour and who come to develop shared linguistic norms

Question 4

diglossia (Ferguson)

Answer 4

is a relatively stable situation in which two varieties of the same language, a H-variety and a L-variety, serve distinct socio-linguistic functions

Question 5

domain (Fishman)

Answer 5

is an institutional context that is often associated with a particular language variety based on place, subject and the role-relations of the participants

Question 6

accommodation (Giles)

Answer 6

is a theoretical framework that explains how one’s linguistic choices are informed by their need to negotiate the social distance between them and their audience

Question 7

convergence (Giles)

Answer 7

is the attempt to adapt one’s linguistic choices to be more similar to that of their audience so as to narrow the social distance between them

Question 8

divergence (Giles)

Answer 8

is the attempt to adapt one’s linguistic choices to be more different to that of their audience so as to widen the social distance between them

Question 9

register (Halliday)

Answer 9

is a variety of language that corresponds to a variety of situation – that is, variation according to use

Question 10

appropriation (Hill)

Answer 10

is an attempt to adopt linguistic resources from a speech community without their consent with the intent of indexing the desirable qualities that are associated with them

Question 11

communicative competence (Hymes)

Answer 11

is the ability to produce and understand language use that is appropriate to a particular sociolinguistic situation

Question 12

linguistic competence (Hymes)

Answer 12

is the ability to produce and understand language use that is grammatically correct

Question 13

creole (Hymes)

Answer 13

is a language variety with a lexicon and a grammar that is suited to a full range of sociolinguistic functions and that has become the first language of a speech community

Question 14

pidgin (Hymes)

Answer 14

is a language variety with a lexicon and a grammar that is suited to a restricted range of sociolinguistic functions and that is used only as an auxiliary language

Question 15

covert prestige (Labov)

Answer 15

is the relative value that is accorded to a non-standard language variety from bottom-up by users

Question 16

overt prestige (Labov)

Answer 16

is the relative value that is accorded to a standard language variety from top-down by social institutions

Question 17

speech community (Labov)

Answer 17

is a group of speakers who share a set of linguistic norms regarding their use of language

Question 18

intelligibility (Smith & Nelson)

Answer 18

is the degree to which a word/utterance can be recognised as a word/utterance in a particular language

Question 19

comprehensibility (Smith & Nelson)

Answer 19

is the degree to which the semantic meaning of a word/utterance can be recognised

Question 20

interpretability (Smith & Nelson)

Answer 20

is the degree to which the pragmatic meaning of a word/utterance can be recognised

Question 21

linguistic glocalisation (Alsagoff)

Answer 21

is the linguistic situation where English is used both as a global language of business and a local language expressing particular socio-cultural identities and realities

Question 22

leaky diglossia (Gupta)

Answer 22

is a linguistic situation where two varieties of the same language that previously served distinct socio-linguistic functions are now used in the same communicative context

Question 23

phatic communication (Jakobson)

Answer 23

is the use of language to index social relationships rather than to communicate information to one’s audience

Question 24

Three Circles Model (Kachru)

Answer 24

is a theoretical framework that divides the speakers of English into 3 categories based on the language’s socio-linguistic function and their linguistic influence

1. Inner Circle: is a term describing countries where English is used in public as an official language and in private as a mother tongue and whose speakers are norm-providing
2. Outer Circle: is a term describing countries where English is used in public as an official language and in private as an inter-ethnic lingua franca and whose speakers are norm-developing
3. Expanding Circle: is a term describing countries where English is used in public as a professional language but not in private and whose speakers are norm-dependent

Question 25

Expanding Triangles of Expression (Pakir)

Answer 25

is a theoretical framework that explains how one’s style of language varies based on the proficiency of the speaker and the formality of the socio-linguistic situation

1. formality cline: is the degree to which a socio-linguistic situation necessitates the use of a formal register, which can be sub-divided into Formal, Careful, Consultative, Casual and Intimate
2. proficiency cline: is the degree to which a speaker is proficient in a language, which can be sub-divided into Advanced, Adept, Intermediate, Basic and Rudimentary

Question 26

code-switching (Gumperz)

Answer 26

is the shift from one language variety to another based on the changing needs of the socio-linguistic situation

Question 27

Dynamic Model of Post-Colonial Englishes (Schneider)

Answer 27

is a theoretical framework that explains how language varieties may evolve over time in Outer Circle countries

1. foundation: is the first stage that is characterised by limited language contact between the local languages and English from colonialism, with both remaining distinct
2. exonormative stabilisation: is the second stage that is characterised by increasing language contact between the local languages and English, with there being increasing lexical influence from the latter
3. nativisation: is the third stage characterised by widespread language contact between the local languages and English, with the emergence of a distinct new language variety
4. endonormative stabilisation: is the fourth stage that is characterised by a growing acceptance of the distinct new language variety amongst wider society
5. differentiation: is the fifth stage that is characterised by the evolution of the distinct new language variety as a distinct language on its own and as an in-group identity marker

Question 28

language planning (Haugen)

Answer 28

1. selection: is the stage where a language variety is chosen as the norm
2. codification: is the stage where the language variety that is chosen as the norm undergoes standardisation to ensure minimal variation in form and maximum variation in function
3. elaboration: is the stage where the learning materials and media artefacts for the teaching and the transmission of the language variety that is chosen as the norm are developed
4. implementation: is the stage where the language variety that is chosen as the norm is put into use in official social institutions and begins to be taught formally in educational institutions

Question 29

status planning (Hornberger)

Answer 29

is the process of elevating a particular language variety as the prestige variant and the norm to be used in official institutions

Question 30

corpus planning (Hornberger)

Answer 30

is the process of codifying the normative language variety to ensure minimal variation in form and maximum variation in function

Question 31

acquisition planning (Hornberger)

Answer 31

is the process of developing learning materials and media artefacts to facilitate the teaching and the transmission of the normative language variety

Question 32

mistake (Kachru)

Answer 32

is the view that any deviation from the linguistic norms of Inner Circle countries can be seen as resulting from a deficiency in language acquisition

Question 33

deviation (Kachru)

Answer 33

is the view that any deviation from the linguistic norms of Inner Circle countries can be seen as resulting from a difference in language acquisition

Question 34

innovation (Kachru)

Answer 34

is the view that any deviation from the linguistic norms of Inner Circle countries can be seen as resulting from an adaptation to suit local socio-linguistic realities

Question 35

style-shifting (Labov)

Answer 35

is the process of adapting one’s speech style so as to index particular social meanings based on the needs of the socio-linguistic situation

Question 36

linguistic imperialism (Phillipson)

Answer 36

is the entrenched dominance of the English Language vis-a-vis other languages as a result of its status as an international lingua franca

Question 37

crossing (Rampton)

Answer 37

is the process of adapting one’s linguistic choices so as to index the social identity that is associated with the language variety being used

Question 38

ownership (Widdowson)

Answer 38

is the perceived right of a speech community to determine how a language should be used amongst themselves