U1O1 SAC 2

Unit 1, SAC 2, Term 2, English Language

Mode

Method of communication like spoken, written, digital, etc.

Participants

Who is speaking and who is listening

Audience

Specific group of viewers, listeners, or readers intended

Register

Stylistic variation of language, defined by its use. It involves all features of language as well as levels of formality.

Register Types

Predominantly informal, relatively informal, relatively formal, predominantly informal

Tenor

The relationships between the participants

Functions

The purpose of a message. Language has six functions: referential, emotive, conative, phatic, metalinguistic and poetic.

Morphology

Study of morphemes and how words are structured

Morphemes

Smallest indivisible unit in language and/or speech with meaning

Prefix

Front morpheme

Suffix

Back morpheme

Affix

Morpheme at the front, middle or back

Bound Morpheme

A morpheme which can’t stand alone and doesn’t make grammatical sense by itself

Free Morpheme

A morpheme which can stand alone and make grammatical sense by itself

Derivational Morpheme

A morpheme which changes the meaning or word class of the base word

Inflectional Morpheme

A morpheme which changes the grammar of the base word

Lexicology

Study of lexemes

Word Classes

Words divided into parts of speech

Nouns

Words that are used to identify any thing or concept

Common Nouns

Broad nouns

Proper Nouns

Specific nouns

Collective Nouns

Group of things

Abstract Nouns

A noun that are qualities and not physical

Pronoun

A word used in the place of another noun while not being a noun.

Adjective

A word used to name a characteristic or attribute of a noun, describing the noun

Prepositional Phrase

A dependent group of words that act like an adverb or adjective with a preposition at the front and ending with an object (noun or pronoun)

Determiner

A word that occurs before a noun but performs a grammatical rather than descriptive role. It adds information to the noun regarding possession, quantity, definiteness and indefiniteness. E.g. the, a(n), two, some.

Discourse

Study of how language is used in real communication to achieve social and communicative goals. It examines the rules, conventions, and structures that organize sequences of sentences (both written and spoken) into coherent texts and conversations, and how meaning is shaped by situational and cultural context.

Denotation

Actual meaning of words found in the dictionary

Semantics

Meaning of words and phrases

Connotation

Social meanings or emotional associations with a word

Syntax

The way words are arranged in a sentence, clause or phrase to make meaning

Phonology

Study of sound patterns and structures

Phonetics

Study of human speech sounds and its production

Sentence Fragments

Clause missing a subject, verb or missing thought

Clauses

Group of words with a subject and a verb or a verb and a phrase

Predicate

Part of a clause containing a verb and something about the subject

Object

Something affected by the verb

Adverb/Adverbial Phrase

A dependent group of words that act like an adverb and have the adverb as the main word in the group of words. It can describe how, when, where, why or to what extent an action has been done.

Auxiliary Verb

Also known as helping verbs. A verb used to help main verbs grammatically like forming voice, forming tense, forming mood, form questions or forming aspects. Auxiliaries are a subclass of verbs.

E.g. have eaten, does not like, is arguing.

Modal Auxiliaries

A type of helping verb/auxiliary verb used with a main verb to express possibility, necessity, ability, or permission but do not change the mode of the main verb.
It include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.

Adverb

A single word which modifies or qualifies a verb, adjective, adverb or other word group, answering questions.

A one-word adverbial

Compound sentences

Two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction

Complex sentences

A sentence with 1 independent clause and 1 or more subordinate clauses with includes subordinating conjunctions.

Coordinating Conjunction

Word or words which combine of two sentences or ideas of equal value

Subordinate Conjunction

Word or words which combine two sentences where one is more important than the other

Conjunction

A word used to connect words, phrases, or clauses

Interjection

An abrupt remark, especially as an aside or interruption which expresses strong emotions.

Phrases

Dependent group of words which act like a word class

Declarative

Sentence type making a statement

Exclamatory

Sentence type expressing strong emotion

4 Sentence Types

Declarative
Interrogative
Imperative
Exclamatory

Interrogative

Sentence type asking a question

Imperative

Sentence type commanding, requesting or suggesting an action

Compound-Complex Sentence

Combines a compound sentence with a complex sentence. This means it has 2 or more independent clauses and 1 or more dependent clauses.

Simple sentences

One independent clause with a subject and a verb or more

Complement

A word, clause or phrase needed to describe a subject or object.

Adverbial

Word or phrase which has a function of one of the following
1) Specifies event or state
2) Indicates closeness of two clauses
3) Provides comments

Subject

The ‘main character’ or first participant described by the predicate

Subordinating Clause

A clause dependent on another clause to make sense

Main Clause

Independent clause that can stand on its own while making sense.

Adjective Phrase

Group of words functioning like an adjective including modifiers

Language

A system of conventional spoken, signed or written symbols by means of which humans express themselves.

Purpose

What does the author want to achieve in the text?

Intent

What does the author want the audience to do after reading the text?

Functions of Language

Metalinguistic function
Conative function
Phatic function
Referential function
Emotive function
Poetic function

Cultural Context

Extralinguistic circumstances that influence language use, which includes the values, attitudes, and beliefs of the speaker, writer, and other participants

Preparedness

How prepared the author is in the given text

Anti-authoritarianism

Negative attitudes to those in authority, especially those who exercise their power over others

Anti-intellectualism

Negative attitudes to intellectuals or highly educated people, often based on the belief that they are out of touch with ordinary people

Connection to Country

Central aspect of identity and spiritual, physical and emotional bond with land. Understanding one’s relationship with Country, and place within the Dreaming and wider cosmos, enables a fundamental connection to identify in clan, tribal and national contexts.

Democratic values

The values that underpin Australian governance, including freedom to vote or run for office, the freedom to gather and participate in politics, the freedom to express opinions and beliefs, and the principle that everyone should be subject to the same laws and other basic human rights.

Egalitarianism

The idea that all individuals should have equal rights, opportunities and treatment, regardless of their social status, wealth or background. This includes equal access to education, healthcare, employment and other basic needs.

Laid-back Attitudes

Associated with the idea of taking things and life easy, not getting too stressed and enjoying life. Basically being friendly and easygoing.

Mateship

Values of loyalty, solidarity and friendship

Multiculturalism

Society made up of many different cultures, ideally celebrating diversity and inclusiveness

Field

Topic or subject matter

Semantic Domain

Words used to describe the field

Setting

Time and place

Situational Context

Everything outside a text that shapes the language used within the text, including field, tenor, language mode, setting and text type

Text Type

The type or nature of text

Emotive Function

The function which allows users to express emotions and desires

Conative Function

The function which typically involves directions, questions and commands with the aim to cause the addressee or audience to react

Phatic Function

The function designed to create and maintain social connections between the addresser and addressee