A Level English Language Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the history of English, linguistic theories, child language acquisition, global varieties, and social identity.

Englisc

The language spoken by the Angle tribe which originated around 449 AD and later spread across the south of Britain.

Beowulf

The longest epic poem in Old English, written c. 700-1000 AD, narrating the fights between the hero and bloodthirsty monsters.

Chancery Standard

The London dialect around which the English language was emerging for official purposes by the mid-fifteenth century.

Graphology

The study of writing forms such as the alphabet, writing systems, and other visual elements on a page.

Orthography

The part of language study concerned with letters and spelling.

Pragmatics

The study of the ways in which language is used in its social context and how context affects the meaning of words and phrases.

Lexis

The vocabulary of a language; a Greek term meaning 'word' or 'speech.'

Great Vowel Shift

A massive sound change affecting the long vowels of English between the 15th and 18th centuries, where vowels shifted to be pronounced higher in the mouth.

Neologism

A new word, a new use for an old word, or the act of making up new words.

Coinage

The act of creating a new word deliberately or unintentionally, often from no existing root word, such as brands like Google or Xerox.

Eponyms

Words for objects or ideas that take the name of their inventor or creator, such as Fahrenheit or cardigan.

Telescoping

The contraction of a phrase or word to form a hybrid, such as 'sitcom' from situation comedy.

Back-formation

A form of clipping where a shortened word is created in a different form, commonly a noun shortened into a verb, like 'automate' from automation.

Amelioration

The elevation of a word's meaning where a word with a negative connotation develops a positive one.

Pejoration

The depreciation of a word's meaning where a positive or neutral word develops a negative connotation.

Prescriptivism

The belief that one variety of language is superior and should be promoted through standardised rules, often viewing variation as language decline.

Descriptivism

An approach that focuses on observing and describing how people actually use language in natural contexts without enforcing external standards.

Functional Theory

Michael Halliday's theory that language changes according to the needs of its users, focusing on lexical adaptation to new technologies and social functions.

Random Fluctuation Theory

Charles Hockett's proposal that language changes due to unstable systems affected by random errors, mistakes, and changing contexts.

S-curve Model

A model describing language change as a process that starts slowly, spreads rapidly as it becomes accepted, and then stabilizes.

Linguistic Determinism

The strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis stating that language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge and thought.

Corpus

A large electronic collection of naturally occurring spoken and written texts used by linguists to study patterns in language use.

Adjacency Pairs

A structural feature of conversation where one utterance prompts a predictable responding utterance, such as a question followed by an answer.

Phatic Communion

Polite social expressions that carry little informational meaning but serve to establish or maintain social relationships.

Back-channelling

Signals from a listener, such as 'uh-huh' or 'really,' showing that they are following what the speaker is saying.

Deixis

Words or phrases like 'this' or 'that man' whose meaning depends entirely on the immediate context of the conversation.

Holophrastic Stage

The stage of child language development around 12 months where a single word is used to express a whole phrase or idea.

Telegraphic Stage

The period between ages two and three where children's utterances are long and condensed, omitting auxiliary verbs and determiners like a telegram.

LAD (Language Acquisition Device)

Noam Chomsky's proposed innate cognitive mechanism that enables children to acquire language naturally through an instinct for grammar.

LASS (Language Acquisition Support System)

Jerome Bruner's theory emphasizing the social support provided by caregivers through scaffolding and child-directed speech.

Lingua Franca

A common language used for communication between speakers of different native languages, often for trade or administration.

Inner Circle

The part of Kachru's model where English is the native language (L1) and serves as the 'norm-providing' variety.

Outer Circle

Countries in Kachru's model, like India or Singapore, where English is a second language (L2) and is 'norm-developing.'

Expanding Circle

Countries in Kachru's model where English is learned as a foreign language for international business or travel and is 'norm-dependent.'

Macaronic Languages

Varieties that mix English with another language, such as Spanglish or Japlish.

Isogloss

A line on a map showing the approximate boundary where one specific linguistic feature changes to another.

Eye Dialect

The use of non-standard spelling in writing, such as Charles Dickens' 'B-u-u-ust me!', to represent a character's specific pronunciation or accent.

Code Switching

The process of changing from one style, variety, or language to another depending on the social situation or audience.

Idiolect

An individual's unique and personal way of speaking, shaped by their specific life experiences, education, and culture.

Cooperative Principle

Paul Grice's assumption that speakers generally try to communicate clearly and cooperatively so conversation can achieve its purpose.

Maxim of Quality

The conversational rule to only say what you believe is true and avoid making claims without evidence.

Face-Threatening Act (FTA)

Any communication that threatens another person's self-esteem, dignity, or social image, such as a criticism or a command.

Positive Politeness

Strategies used to make a listener feel valued and included, such as using compliments, jokes, or nicknames.

Negative Politeness

Strategies used to show respect for a listener's freedom and avoid sounding demanding, such as apologizing or using indirect questions.