Unit 2 - Spoken Terminology

Question 1

Question 1
What are Interruptions?

Answer 1

The speaker hasn’t finished a unit of meaning but someone else starts talking anyway. These occur frequently in everyday life.

Question 2

Question 2
What are Overlaps?

Answer 2

One speaker talks at the same time as another speaker. Overlaps aren’t always bad.

E.g. one person may be reassuring another person.

Question 3

Question 3
What are False Starts?

Answer 3

A speaker starts saying out thing & then stops to re-phrase, re-think or clarify what they were planning to say. False starts can occur when a speaker realises that what they’ve just said isn’t correct or doesn’t make sense & so has another try.

Question 4

Question 4
What are Hesitations?

Answer 4

Also called pauses, these can be silences or fillers.

Question 5

Question 5
What are Fillers?

Answer 5

‘Er’, ‘Um’, or elongated syllables.

E.g. ‘w-e-ll’. Sometimes phrases, such as ‘you what I mean’, can be used as fillers.

Question 6

Question 6
What are Repetitions?

Answer 6

Repeating words or phrases. These can be for emphasis or to give the speaker more time to sort out their thoughts before continuing.

Question 7

Question 7
What is Colloquial Language?

Answer 7

Highly informal language; either new words or current words used in some special sense.

Question 8

Question 8
What are Paralinguistics?

Answer 8

The study of non-verbal communication.

E.g. Vocal effects – laughing, sighing. Also gestures, posture & facial expressions.

Question 9

Question 9
What are Prosodics?

Answer 9

The use of pitch, volume, pace & rhythm to draw attention to key features of spoken language.

Question 10

Question 10
What are Hedges?

Answer 10

Speakers qualify or soften what they say using words & phrases. Hedges are sometimes called softeners because they make statements less harsh, direct or assertive.

Such as, ‘perhaps’, ‘do you mind’, etc.

Question 11

Question 11
What is Deletion/ Ellipsis?

Answer 11

Leaving something out. Deletion refers to missing out a word. Ellipsis typically refers to missing out more than one word.

Question 12

Question 12
What is Phatic Communication?

Answer 12

These are phrases people use which are socially significant but are otherwise meaningless.

E.g. usually when a person asks, ‘How are you?’, they are just expressing a desire for a relationship, they don’t actually care how you are.

Question 13

Question 13
What is Back-Channeling?

Answer 13

Words, phrases & non-verbal utterances, used by a listener to give feedback to a speaker that the message is being followed/ understood.

E.g. ‘uh huh’, ‘I see’, etc,

Question 14

Question 14
What is an Elision?

Answer 14

The omission or slurring, eliding, of one or more sounds/ syllables.

E.g. gonna = going to.

Question 15

Question 15
What is a Tag question?

Answer 15

Strings of words normally added to a declarative sentence to turn the statement into a question.

E.g. “It’s nasty, isn’t it?”.

Question 16

Question 16
What is the term?
The speaker hasn’t finished a unit of meaning but someone else starts talking anyway. These occur frequently in everyday life.

Answer 16

Interruptions.

Question 17

E.g. one person may be reassuring another person.

Question 17
What is the term?
One speaker talks at the same time as another speaker. They aren’t always bad.

Answer 17

Overlaps.

Question 18

Question 18
What is the term?
A speaker starts saying out thing & then stops to re-phrase, re-think or clarify what they were planning to say. They can occur when a speaker realises that what they’ve just said isn’t correct or doesn’t make sense & so has another try.

Answer 18

False Starts.

Question 19

Question 19
What is the term?
Also called pauses, these can be silences or fillers.

Answer 19

Hesitations.

Question 20

E.g. ‘w-e-ll’.

Question 20
What is the term?
‘Er’, ‘Um’, or elongated syllables. Sometimes phrases, such as ‘you what I mean’, can be used as fillers.

Answer 20

Fillers.

Question 21

Question 21
What is the term?
Repeating words or phrases. These can be for emphasis or to give the speaker more time to sort out their thoughts before continuing.

Answer 21

Repetitions.

Question 22

Question 22
What is the term?
Highly informal language; either new words or current words used in some special sense.

Answer 22

Colloquial Language.

Question 23

E.g. Vocal effects – laughing, sighing - gestures, posture & facial

Question 23
What is the term?
The study of non-verbal communication

Answer 23

Paralinguistics.

Question 24

Question 24
What is the term?
The use of pitch, volume, pace & rhythm to draw attention to key features of spoken language.

Answer 24

Prosodics.

Question 25

# Such as ‘perhaps’, ‘do you mind’, etc. Question 25 What is the term? *Speakers qualify or soften what they say using words & phrases. They're sometimes called softeners because they make statements less harsh, direct or assertive.*

Answer 25

Hedges.

Question 26

Question 26 What is the term? *Leaving something out. Deletion refers to missing out a word. Ellipsis typically refers to missing out more than one word.*

Answer 26

Deletion/ ellipsis.

Question 27

Question 27 What is the term? *These are phrases people use which are socially significant but are otherwise meaningless.* ## Footnote E.g. usually when a person asks, ‘How are you?’, they are just expressing a desire for a relationship, they don’t actually care how you are.

Answer 27

Phatic Communication.

Question 28

# E.g. ‘uh huh’, ‘I see’, etc. Question 28 What is the term? *Words, phrases & non-verbal utterances, used by a listener to give feedback to a speaker that the message is being followed/ understood.*

Answer 28

Back-Channeling.

Question 29

# E.g. gonna = going to. Question 29 What is the term? *The omission or slurring, eliding, of one or more sounds/ syllables.*

Answer 29

Elision.

Question 30

# E.g. “It’s nasty, isn’t it?”. Question 30 What is the term? *Strings of words normally added to a declarative sentence to turn the statement into a question.*

Answer 30

Tag question.