2. Foundations of Language Learning Flashcards
(87 cards)
1
Q
What are modal verbs?
A
Verbs like “can,” “must,” indicating possibility, obligation, etc.
2
Q
Name the four language systems.
A
Phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
3
Q
What is a free morpheme?
A
A morpheme that can stand alone as a word (e.g., “book”).
4
Q
What is a bound morpheme?
A
A morpheme that must attach to another (e.g., “-ly”).
5
Q
Define phonetics.
A
Study of speech sounds and their production.
6
Q
What does phonology study?
A
Study of sound patterns in a language.
7
Q
What is intonation?
A
Pitch variation in speech affecting meaning.
8
Q
Define collocations.
A
Words that frequently occur together (e.g., “high GPA”).
9
Q
What is a synonym?
A
Words with similar meanings.
10
Q
Define homophones.
A
Words with the same sound but different meanings and spellings (e.g., “pair/pear”).
11
Q
What is a homonym?
A
Words with the same sound and spelling but different meanings (e.g., “fair/fair”).
12
Q
Define homograph.
A
Words with the same spelling but different meanings (e.g., “tear/tear”).
13
Q
What is a phoneme?
A
Smallest unit of sound in a language.
14
Q
Define grapheme.
A
Letters or letter groups representing a phoneme.
15
Q
What is a consonant blend?
A
Two or more consonants sounded together (e.g., “st” in “stay”).
16
Q
Define diphthong.
A
A vowel sound with a glide (e.g., “oi” in “boil”).
17
Q
What is a digraph?
A
Two letters representing one sound (e.g., “sh”).
18
Q
Define stops in phonetics.
A
Consonants stopping airflow (e.g., “p,” “b”).
19
Q
What are fricatives?
A
Consonants with air leakage (e.g., “f,” “s”).
20
Q
Define affricates.
A
Consonants combining a stop and fricative (e.g., “ch”).
21
Q
What is discourse competence?
A
Ability to organize language into cohesive units like conversations.
22
Q
Define strategic competence.
A
Ability to repair communication breakdowns.
23
Q
What is communicative competence?
A
Knowledge of grammar, syntax, and social language use for effective communication.
24
Q
What are English phonemes?
A
Distinct sound units in English (e.g., /p/, /b/), critical for pronunciation instruction.
25
Define phonetic transcription.
Writing spoken language using symbols, often via the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
26
What is narrow transcription?
Detailed phonetic transcription capturing subtle pronunciation variations.
27
Define morpheme.
Smallest unit of meaning in a language (e.g., “un-” or “happy”).
28
What are morphology principles?
Rules governing word formation, such as adding suffixes for tense or number.
29
What are nominalizers?
Morphemes that turn verbs or adjectives into nouns (e.g., “-tion” in “education”).
30
Define a clause.
A group of words with a subject and predicate, forming part of a sentence.
31
What is back channeling?
Listener responses (e.g., “uh-huh”) to signal engagement in conversation.
32
Define language convergence.
Adjusting speech to match a conversational partner’s style or register.
33
What are auxiliary verbs?
Verbs like “be,” “have,” supporting main verbs in expressing tense or aspect.
34
Define a noun.
A word naming a person, place, thing, or idea (common vs. proper, countable vs. uncountable).
35
What is a pronoun?
A word replacing a noun (e.g., personal, possessive).
36
Define an adjective.
A word modifying a noun, indicating quantity, quality, or extent.
37
What is an adverb?
A word modifying a verb, adjective, or adverb, indicating manner, time, or degree.
38
Define a preposition.
A word showing relationships between nouns or pronouns (e.g., “under,” “for”).
39
What is an inflectional suffix?
A suffix indicating grammatical properties like tense or number (e.g., “-s,” “-ed”).
40
Define lexicon.
The vocabulary of a language or individual speaker.
41
What is pragmatics?
The study of language use in context, including social rules for communication.
42
What is register in language?
Variations in language use based on context, such as formal vs. informal speech.
43
Define cohesion.
Linguistic devices (e.g., conjunctions, pronouns) that connect ideas within a text.
44
What is coherence?
Logical organization of ideas in discourse for clarity and understanding.
45
Define suprasegmentals.
Features like stress, pitch, and rhythm that affect meaning beyond individual sounds.
46
What are lexical chunks?
Fixed phrases (e.g., “by the way”) learned as single units for fluency.
47
Define syntax.
Rules governing sentence structure, such as word order and clause relationships.
48
What is early negation in language development?
Early negation is when children use simple forms like 'No like' or 'Not is' to express negation.
49
What does Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development emphasize?
Vygotsky emphasizes that learners interact with knowledgeable peers within their zone of proximal development (ZPD), where they can perform tasks with support but not independently.
50
What is fossilization in language learning?
Fossilization refers to consistent language errors that become fixed despite ongoing instruction.
51
What is overgeneralization in language acquisition?
Overgeneralization occurs when a learner applies a rule inappropriately, like saying 'goed' instead of 'went'.
52
What is the affective filter hypothesis in Krashen's theory?
Krashen's affective filter hypothesis suggests that anxiety, motivation, and other emotional factors can block language acquisition.
53
What is code-switching?
Code-switching occurs when a speaker switches between languages or dialects within a conversation.
54
Who is Cummins, and what did he develop?
Cummins developed the concepts of BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency).
55
What is the silent period in language acquisition?
The silent period is when language learners are hesitant to speak, often absorbing and processing language without verbal output.
56
What does psycholinguistics say about input during the critical period?
Psycholinguistics emphasizes that linguistic input during the critical period (early childhood) is crucial for effective language acquisition.
57
What is L1 interference?
L1 interference occurs when a learner's first language (L1) affects their second language (L2) use.
58
What is additive bilingualism?
Additive bilingualism is when a learner acquires a second language (L2) while maintaining and developing their first language (L1).
59
What is integrative motivation in language learning?
Integrative motivation refers to learning a language to integrate into a community or culture.
60
What is a cognitive strategy in language learning?
A cognitive strategy helps learners understand and process language.
61
What is Chomsky known for?
Chomsky proposed transformational grammar, suggesting humans have an innate ability to learn language.
62
What is interlanguage?
Interlanguage is the evolving system a learner uses during the process of acquiring a second language.
63
What is the bodily/kinesthetic learner type?
Bodily/kinesthetic learners prefer hands-on experiences and physical activity as part of their learning process.
64
How does the quality of linguistic input affect language acquisition?
High-quality linguistic input greatly impacts the speed and effectiveness of language acquisition.
65
What is instrumental motivation in language learning?
Instrumental motivation refers to learning a language for practical purposes.
66
What is a consonant digraph?
A consonant digraph is two letters that together produce one sound.
67
What are voiced and voiceless sounds?
Voiced sounds involve vocal cord vibration, while voiceless sounds do not.
68
What is a gerund?
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing used as a noun.
69
How is noun pluralization formed?
To indicate plurality, add -s to the noun.
70
What is deletion in pronunciation?
Deletion is when a sound is omitted in speech for easier pronunciation.
71
What is a derivational suffix?
A derivational suffix changes a word’s form or meaning.
72
What is verb tense?
Verb tense indicates when an action occurs.
73
What are minimal pairs?
Minimal pairs are two words that differ by only one phoneme and have different meanings.
74
What is epenthesis?
Epenthesis is adding a sound in a word.
75
What is a modal auxiliary?
A modal auxiliary verb indicates possibility, ability, permission, or obligation.
76
What is the N + ly → ADJ rule?
Adding -ly to a noun forms an adjective.
77
What is word order in English?
In standard English, word order should follow subject-verb-object.
78
What is the pronunciation of 'looks'?
The word 'looks' ends with /s/, a voiceless consonant.
79
What are consonant clusters?
Consonant clusters are two or more consonants together in a word.
80
What is a compound noun?
A compound noun is formed by combining two words.
81
What is correct verb tense in 'am go'?
'Am go' should be corrected to 'go' or 'am going'.
82
What is sociolinguistics?
Sociolinguistics studies how language is used in social and cultural contexts.
83
What is passive voice?
Passive voice uses the form 'was' + past participle.
84
What is an adverb form?
An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
85
What do the prefixes 'il-' and 'ir-' mean?
Both 'il-' and 'ir-' mean 'not'.
86
What is subject-object-verb (SOV) order?
Some languages, including some L1s, use SOV word order.
87
What does 'put out the fire' mean?
'Put out' is an idiomatic phrase meaning to extinguish something.
