Units 1 and 2: Metalanguage and Phonology Review

Flashcards covering core concepts of metalanguage, segmental and suprasegmental features, connected speech processes, and pedagogical strategies for teaching phonology.

What is the definition of metalanguage?

Language used to talk about and analyze language, allowing teachers and learners to describe how English works.

What is the difference between metalinguistic knowledge and communicative competence?

Metalinguistic knowledge is explicit knowledge about how language works, while communicative competence is the ability to use language effectively in context.

What characterizes 'Language Awareness'?

Conscious noticing of how language works, such as recognizing that the word 'record' changes stress depending on its part of speech.

What are the three dimensions used for linguistic analysis of a sample?

Form (the linguistic structure), Meaning (what it expresses), and Use (why it is used in a specific context).

How is the phonetic sound $/\text{/p/}/$ described using the three key features of consonants?

Voiceless, bilabial, plosive.

Describe the sound $/\text{/v/}/$ using phonetic terminology.

Voiced, labiodental, fricative.

Describe the sound $/\text{/}\text{ʃ}\text{/}/$ using phonetic terminology.

Voiceless, post-alveolar, fricative.

What is the difference between a fricative and an affricate?

A fricative (like $/\text{/}\text{ʃ}\text{/}/$) involves continuous friction, whereas an affricate (like $/\text{/t}\text{ʃ}\text{/}/$) is a complex sound starting as a plosive and ending as a fricative.

What is a minimal pair?

A pair of words that differ by only one sound, such as 'ship' and 'sheep' or 'full' and 'fool.'

In connected speech, what is 'Assimilation'?

A process where a sound becomes more similar to a neighboring sound, for example when 'green park' sounds like $/\text{/griːm pɑːk/}/$.

What is 'Elision' in phonology?

The omission of a sound in connected speech, such as when the $/\text{/t/}/$ is dropped in 'next day.'

Define the suprasegmental feature 'Intonation'.

The melody or pitch movement of speech that signals attitude, certainty, questioning, or finality.

What is the role of 'Prominence' in sentence stress?

It makes specific words communicatively important to highlight information or change meaning.

Why are 'Weak Forms' difficult for EFL learners?

They involve the reduction of function words (like 'to', 'for', 'can') in unstressed positions, which are hard to perceive in natural speed.

What is 'Guided Discovery' in the context of teaching?

A strategy where students infer rules or patterns through structured analysis of language examples.

What is the difference between accuracy, fluency, and appropriacy?

Accuracy is producing correct forms; fluency is the smooth flow of communication; and appropriacy is using language suitable for the context.

Why should pronunciation teaching prioritize 'Intelligibility' over 'sounding native-like'?

Intelligibility focuses on being understood and respects linguistic diversity and the learner's identity rather than promoting a deficit perspective or accent shame.

What is 'Intrusion' in connected speech?

The appearance of a linking sound between vowels, such as an $/\text{/r/}/$ appearing in 'law and order' in some accents.

What is the function of sentence stress in the example: 'I didn’t say he stole the money'?

It highlights important information; shifting the stress to different words changes the meaning or focus of the denial.

How does phonological awareness support listening comprehension?

It helps students recognize and understand the features of connected speech, such as rhythm, reductions, and linking, which are common in authentic communication.