VCE English Language 3/4 Exam Revision: U4AOS1 + 2

Unit 4: Area of Study 1 + 2

Broad, general, and cultivated accents

Broad is the most exaggerated and stereotypical Australian accent. General is the most common, middle of Broad and Cultivated. Replaced the cultivated accent as the norm for education speakers. Cultivated is the accent closest to British pronunciation.

Hypocoristic Use of Suffixes

Specific type of word formation involving the shortening of a word, often to a single syllable, followed by the addition of a special suffix. Builds rapport and intimacy, as well as in-group membership. Promotes linguistic innovation.

Overt Norms and Prestige

Socially accepted, widely recognized, and dominant linguistic standards within a speech community. Carry overt prestige.

Covert Norms and Prestige

Linguistic standards and practices valued within smaller, localized social groups. Typically non-Standard English and carry covert prestige, a positive social significance valued only within the in-group.

Migrant ethnolect

Variety of Aus-E that is influenced by the language or accent of a particular ethnic group. 

AAE

English dialects spoken by many Indigenous Australians. Result of contact between SAE and the 250 distinct languages before colonization.

Regional Variation

Differences in language use that are characteristic of speakers from different geographical areas.

Code Switching

The practice of alternating between two or more language varieties, dialects, or registers within a single conversation.

Prescriptivism

An attitude towards language that dictates how language should be used, rather than describing how it is actually used.

Descriptivism

An approach to language that focuses on objectively describing how language is actually used, rather than dictating how it should be used.

Sociolect

A variety of language spoken by a particular social group or community. Shaped by social factors that reflect the collective identity of that group.

Idiolect

The unique and distinctive linguistic system of an individual. The sum of every personal experience that shaped how a person speaks and is a continuously evolving variety.