CIE A2 Level English: Language and the Self (copy)

Self-Identity

The collection of beliefs about oneself and awareness of one's own characteristics in relation to social groups.

Conversational Face

A concept in spoken language theory which refers to how people maintain their status and self-esteem in interactions.

Positive Face

The wish to have an approved self-image in social interactions.

Negative Face

The wish to not have others impose on us in social contexts.

Face-Threatening Act (FTA)

Any form of words which creates a risk that one’s own face needs will be damaged.

Politeness Strategies

Techniques used to protect the positive and negative faces of individuals during interactions.

Off-Record Politeness

A politeness strategy that is indirect and used with people you are less familiar with.

Negative Politeness

A politeness strategy that maintains distance, offering options or requests indirectly.

Positive Politeness

A politeness strategy used between those who share closeness; expresses friendliness.

On Record Baldly

The most direct and least polite politeness strategy, typically used with close individuals.

Paul Grice's Maxims of Conversation

Guidelines for effective communication that include Quantity, Quality, Relevance, and Manner.

Interactional Language

Language used to develop relationships between speakers.

Referential Language

Language that provides information about objects or abstract concepts.

Expressive Language

Language that highlights the speaker's emotions, feelings, and attitudes.

Transactional Language

Language driven by needs and wants, often for gaining information or making deals.

Phatic Language

Language used for social purposes rather than conveying serious meaning, also known as 'small talk'.

Idiolect

The unique speech pattern of an individual.

Sociolect

The form of language associated with a specific social group or community.

Dialect

The accent, lexis, and grammar characteristic of a specific geographical area.

Social Network Theory

Describes the structure and dynamics of connections within a speech community.

Politeness Principle

A principle that governs conversational interaction by suggesting to not impose, give options, and make the listener feel good.

Genderlect Theory

Suggests that men and women have different conversational styles and characteristics.

Accommodation Theory

The theory that we adapt our speech to become similar to our conversational partner.

Linguistic Determinism

The belief that language determines the way we think and perceive the world.

Empiricism

The theory that knowledge is derived from sensory experience.

Nativism

The belief that certain skills or abilities are innate to humans, particularly in language.

Linguistic Reflectionism

The theory that language reflects the needs, views, and opinions of its users.

Universalism

The belief that thought comes before language and that all human beings impose similar structures on the world.

Political Correctness

Language designed to treat all people equally, but has been criticized for being overly sensitive.

Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development

Vygotsky's theory that emphasizes the role of social interactions in language development.

Teenage Language

Language used by teenagers that often adapts to fit popular culture and trends.

Face- threatening acts are rarely avoidable; however, speakers usually mitigate their FTAs through politeness strategies.

Self-Identity can change based on one's experiences and interactions with others.

Conversational language refers to how people interact and communicate with one another in social settings.