Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) Reviewer for English Majors

These flashcards cover key concepts in linguistics, language acquisition theories, literary criticism, and teaching methods, aimed at English majors preparing for the Licensure Examination for Teachers.

What is Phonology in linguistics?

The study of the combination of sounds into organized units of speech.

What is a Phoneme?

A distinctive sound unit in a language that causes a difference in meaning.

Define Allophones.

Variants or different ways of producing a phoneme.

What does Morphology study?

The patterns of forming words by combining sounds into minimal distinctive units of meaning called morphemes.

What is a Morpheme?

A short segment of language that has meaning and cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts.

What are Bound Morphemes?

Morphemes that cannot stand alone as independent words.

What is Syntax?

The study of how words combine to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.

What does Semantics analyze?

The structure of meaning in language.

Define Pragmatics in linguistics.

The study of contextual aspects of meaning in particular situations.

What is the Speech Act Theory?

It proposes that every utterance consists of three acts: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts.

What do Structuralists believe about language?

Language can be described in terms of observable and verifiable data.

What is the focus of Transformationalists in language?

They believe language is a system of knowledge made manifest in linguistic forms and is innate.

What do Functionalists emphasize regarding language?

Language is a dynamic system used for exchanging information and expressing functional meanings.

What is Behaviorist learning theory?

It suggests that language behavior is conditioned by sequences of rewards in the environment.

Describe Krashen’s Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis.

It claims there are two ways to develop competence in a second language: Acquisition (subconscious process) and Learning (conscious process).

What is the Monitor Hypothesis?

It claims that conscious learning of grammatical rules has a limited function in language performance.

What are Inflectional Morphemes?

Morphemes that do not change the form class of the words they are attached to.

What is a Free Morpheme?

A morpheme that can stand on its own as an independent word.

Name one method for teaching literature.

Lecture methods, discussion methods, or audio-visual methods.

What is Literary Criticism?

The reading, interpretation and commentary of specific texts designated as literature.

What does the Psychoanalytical Theory involve?

It examines a character’s or author’s motivations, drives, fears, and desires.

What does Feminist Criticism focus on?

It focuses on the struggle against patriarchy and the understanding of women's experiences in literature.

Define Postcolonial Criticism.

The study of independence post-colonial rule, focusing on cultural revival and representation.

What is the Eclectic Approach to reading?

It views reading as a personalized, interest-driven process, incorporating various methods.

What are the criticisms of Formalist Literary Theory?

It aims to establish a 'science of literature' by analyzing technical elements used by authors.

What is an Appositive?

An amplifying word or phrase placed next to the term it refers to and is set off by commas.

Define Hyptotaxis.

Phrases or clauses arranged in a dependent, subordinate relationship.

What is a Declarative sentence?

A sentence that states a fact.

What is Chiasmus?

The antithetical inversion pattern AB:BA.

What type of speech is persuasive?

Speech meant to reinforce or modify the audience's beliefs.

What is Phonology in linguistics?

The study of the combination of sounds into organized units of speech.

What is a Phoneme?

A distinctive sound unit in a language that causes a difference in meaning.

Define Allophones.

Variants or different ways of producing a phoneme.

What does Morphology study?

The patterns of forming words by combining sounds into minimal distinctive units of meaning called morphemes.

What is a Morpheme?

A short segment of language that has meaning and cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts.

What are Bound Morphemes?

Morphemes that cannot stand alone as independent words.

What is Syntax?

The study of how words combine to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.

What does Semantics analyze?

The structure of meaning in language.

Define Pragmatics in linguistics.

The study of contextual aspects of meaning in particular situations.

What is the Speech Act Theory?

It proposes that every utterance consists of three acts: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts.

What do Structuralists believe about language?

Language can be described in terms of observable and verifiable data.

What is the focus of Transformationalists in language?

They believe language is a system of knowledge made manifest in linguistic forms and is innate.

What do Functionalists emphasize regarding language?

Language is a dynamic system used for exchanging information and expressing functional meanings.

What is Behaviorist learning theory?

It suggests that language behavior is conditioned by sequences of rewards in the environment.

Describe Krashen’s Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis.

It claims there are two ways to develop competence in a second language: Acquisition (subconscious process) and Learning (conscious process).

What is the Monitor Hypothesis?

It claims that conscious learning of grammatical rules has a limited function in language performance.

What are Inflectional Morphemes?

Morphemes that do not change the form class of the words they are attached to.

What is a Free Morpheme?

A morpheme that can stand on its own as an independent word.

Name one method for teaching literature.

Lecture methods, discussion methods, or audio-visual methods.

What is Literary Criticism?

The reading, interpretation and commentary of specific texts designated as literature.

What does the Psychoanalytical Theory involve?

It examines a character’s or author’s motivations, drives, fears, and desires.

What does Feminist Criticism focus on?

It focuses on the struggle against patriarchy and the understanding of women's experiences in literature.

Define Postcolonial Criticism.

The study of independence post-colonial rule, focusing on cultural revival and representation.

What is the Eclectic Approach to reading?

It views reading as a personalized, interest-driven process, incorporating various methods.

What are the criticisms of Formalist Literary Theory?

It aims to establish a 'science of literature' by analyzing technical elements used by authors.

What is an Appositive?

An amplifying word or phrase placed next to the term it refers to and is set off by commas.

Define Hyptotaxis.

Phrases or clauses arranged in a dependent, subordinate relationship.

What is a Declarative sentence?

A sentence that states a fact.

What is Chiasmus?

The antithetical inversion pattern AB:BA.

What type of speech is persuasive?

Speech meant to reinforce or modify the audience's beliefs.

What are Derivational Morphemes?

Morphemes that can change the meaning of a word by altering its grammatical category.

What is a Suppletive Allomorph?

An allomorph that does not follow the predictable phonological rules; for example, 'go' and 'went'.

Define Linguistic Competence.

The innate knowledge of grammar that allows speakers to produce and understand an infinite number of sentences.

What is Linguistic Performance?

The actual use of language in concrete situations, which may include variations from the idealized competence.

Explain the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.

The theory that the structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview or cognition.

What does Corpus Linguistics study?

It involves the analysis of language as expressed in corpora (samples) to understand usage patterns.

Define Code-Switching.

The practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects within a conversation.

What is a Speech Community?

A group of people who share a common language or dialect and norms of usage.

What are the Characteristics of Register?

The variations in language use depending on context, including formality, vocabulary, and syntax.

What is Dialect?

A particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

Define Syllable.

A unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds that generally contains a vowel sound.

What is Sociolinguistics?

The study of how language varies and changes in social groups.

Define Register in language.

The level of formality or informality employed in speech or writing.

What is the purpose of a Language Assessment?

To evaluate an individual's language skills in order to identify strengths and weaknesses.

What is Discourse Analysis?

The study of spoken or written language in its social context.

Describe the Interaction Hypothesis.

It suggests that language is acquired through interaction and conversational practice.

What is an Idiolect?

The unique way an individual uses language, influenced by their own experiences and environment.

Define Language Attrition.

The loss of language skills over time, often due to lack of use.

What is an Elicited Imitation test?

A language assessment technique where participants repeat phrases or sentences to measure proficiency.

What are Creole languages?

Languages that develop from a mixture of different languages and typically evolve in contact situations.

What does the term 'code-switching' refer to in linguistics?

The practice of alternating between languages or dialects in conversation.

What is Neurolinguistics?

The study of the relationship between language and the brain.

Define Bilingualism.

The ability to speak and understand two languages proficiently.

What are Speech Acts?

Communicative actions that convey meaning through utterances, such as requesting, questioning, or declaring.

What does the term 'Language Universals' refer to?

Features or characteristics that are common to all languages.

What is Phonetics?

The study of the physical sounds of human speech.

Define Semantics.

The study of meaning in language and how words convey meaning.

What is a Grammatical Morpheme?

A morpheme that adds grammatical information, such as tense or plurality.

What is an Implicature?

An implied meaning that is not explicitly stated in a conversation.

What is Pragmatic Competence?

The ability to use language effectively in a social context.

What is meant by 'Linguistic Relativity'?

The idea that language influences thought and perception.

What is an Overgeneralization in language development?

When a child applies a grammatical rule too broadly, such as using 'goed' instead of 'went'.

Define Language Shift.

A process by which a community shifts from using one language to another.

What is a Dialectical Variation?

Differences in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary among speakers of the same language.

Who is associated with Structuralism?

Ferdinand de Saussure, who emphasized the idea of language as a structured system of signs.

Who developed Transformational Grammar?

Noam Chomsky, who proposed the concept of an innate universal grammar underlying all human languages.

Which linguist is linked to Functionalism?

Michael Halliday, who focused on the social functions of language.

What is the proponent of Behaviorism in language acquisition?

B.F. Skinner, advocating that language is learned through reinforcement

Describe a situation where you might use a Declarative sentence.

In a conversation about the weather, one might say, 'It is raining outside,' which states a fact.

Give an example of how you would use Code-Switching in a bilingual conversation.

While talking to a friend who speaks both English and Spanish, you might say, 'I can't believe how hot it is, ¿verdad?' where you switch between languages.