CSET Multisubject Study Guide Overview

Phonology

The study of the sound system of a language, including the identification and classification of phonemes (the smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning). It also includes rules for how sounds are combined and pronounced.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning in a language.

Grapheme

A written or printed symbol that represents a phoneme.

Alphabetic Principle

The understanding that there is a systematic and predictable relationship between written letters (graphemes) and spoken sounds (phonemes). This is the foundation of reading and spelling in alphabetic writing systems.

Phonological Awareness

A broad term that includes the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in spoken words. This encompasses skills like rhyming, segmenting words into sounds, blending sounds, and identifying initial and final sounds.

Phonemic Awareness

A more specific skill within phonological awareness that focuses on the ability to identify and manipulate individual phonemes in spoken words.

Morphology

The study of the structure of words and word formation. It examines morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in a language.

Morpheme

The smallest unit of meaning in a language. Some morphemes can stand alone (free morphemes), while others must be attached to other morphemes (bound morphemes).

Free Morpheme

A morpheme that can stand alone as a word.

Bound Morpheme

A morpheme that cannot stand alone as a word and must be attached to a free morpheme or another bound morpheme.

Inflectional Morpheme

A bound morpheme that indicates grammatical features such as tense, number, possession, or comparison. They do not change the core meaning or grammatical category of the word.

Derivational Morpheme

A bound morpheme that can change the meaning or grammatical category of a word.

Syntax

The study of the rules governing how words are combined to form phrases and sentences. It focuses on word order, sentence structure, and grammatical relationships within a sentence.

Phrase

A group of related words that does not contain both a subject and a verb.

Clause

A group of related words that contains both a subject and a verb.

Independent Clause

A clause that can stand alone as a sentence.

Dependent Clause

A clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Subject

The noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb or is described by the verb.

Predicate

The part of the sentence that contains the verb and provides information about the subject.

Sentence Structure

The arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence.

Simple Sentence

One independent clause.

Compound Sentence

Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.

Complex Sentence

One independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

Compound-Complex Sentence

Two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language, including the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences.

Lexical Semantics

The study of word meaning.

Synonymy

Words with similar meanings.

Antonymy

Words with opposite meanings.

Homonymy

Words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Polysemy

A word with multiple related meanings.

Hyponymy

A relationship where one word is a specific type of another.

Hypernymy

A relationship where one word is a broader category that includes other words.

Sentential Semantics

The study of how the meanings of individual words combine to create the meaning of phrases and sentences.

Pragmatics

The study of how context and social factors influence the interpretation of meaning.

Speech Acts

Actions performed through language, such as requests, commands, questions, and promises.

Conversational Implicature

The implied meanings or inferences that listeners draw from what is said.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

A theoretical innate mental structure proposed by Noam Chomsky that allows infants to learn and process language.

Universal Grammar (UG)

The theory that all human languages share a set of fundamental principles and constraints.

Pre-linguistic Stage

Crying, cooing, babbling (random sounds) (0-6 months).

Babbling Stage

Producing consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., 'mama,' 'dada') (6-12 months).

One-Word Stage (Holophrastic)

Using single words to express whole ideas (e.g., 'juice' might mean 'I want juice') (1-2 years).

Two-Word Stage (Telegraphic)

Combining two words to form simple phrases (e.g., 'Mommy go') (2 years).

Early Multiword Stage

Producing longer and more complex sentences, although often with grammatical errors (e.g., 'He go outside') (2-3 years).

Late Multiword Stage

Developing more complex grammatical structures and a larger vocabulary (3+ years).

Overgeneralization

A common error in language development where children apply a grammatical rule too broadly.

Example of Overgeneralization

Saying 'goed' instead of 'went' or 'mans' instead of 'men.'

Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

The process by which individuals learn a language after their first language has been acquired.

Factors Influencing L2 Acquisition

Various factors that can affect the success of L2 learning.

Motivation

Intrinsic and extrinsic reasons for learning.

Age

Generally, younger learners may have an advantage in pronunciation, but older learners often have better cognitive strategies.

Aptitude

Natural talent or ability for language learning.

Learning Style

Individual preferences for how information is learned.

Personality

Factors like extroversion and risk-taking.

First Language Interference (Transfer)

The influence of the learner's L1 on their L2 (can be positive or negative).

Exposure and Practice

The amount and quality of interaction with the target language.

Stages of Second Language Acquisition

Common stages learners may go through.

Silent/Receptive Stage

Primarily listening and observing.

Early Production Stage

Using single words and short phrases.

Speech Emergence Stage

Producing longer sentences with grammatical errors.

Intermediate Fluency Stage

More complex language use with fewer errors.

Advanced Fluency Stage

Near-native proficiency.

Interlanguage

The dynamic and evolving linguistic system that L2 learners create as they progress in learning the target language.

Emergent Literacy

The knowledge and skills that children develop before they learn to read and write conventionally.

Concepts About Print

Understanding how print works, such as knowing that print carries meaning, books are read from left to right and top to bottom, and the difference between letters and words.

Phonics

A method of teaching reading that focuses on the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes).

Sight Words (High-Frequency Words)

Words that appear frequently in print and are often learned by memorization rather than by sounding them out.

Examples of Sight Words

'the,' 'said,' 'was,' 'have.'

Reading Fluency

The ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with expression (prosody).

Reading Comprehension

The ability to understand the meaning of written text.

Formative Assessment

Ongoing assessment used to monitor student learning and provide feedback to adjust instruction.

Summative Assessment

Assessment used to evaluate student learning at the end of a unit, lesson, or period of instruction.

Diagnostic Assessment

Assessment used to identify students' specific strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins.

Standardized Assessment

Tests that are administered and scored in a consistent, standard manner across a large population. They are often used for accountability and to compare student performance.

Authentic Assessment

Assessment tasks that resemble real-world situations and require students to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful contexts.

Independent Clause (Main Clause)

A clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb.

Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause)

A clause that does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb but is introduced by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun.

Noun Clause

A dependent clause that functions as a noun in a sentence. It can act as a subject, object, complement, or appositive.

Adjective Clause (Relative Clause)

A dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. It usually begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or a relative adverb (where, when, why).

Adverbial Clause

A dependent clause that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It often begins with a subordinating conjunction that indicates time, place, reason, condition, manner, or purpose.

Declarative Sentence

A sentence that makes a statement. It ends with a period.

Interrogative Sentence

A sentence that asks a question. It ends with a question mark.

Imperative Sentence

A sentence that gives a command or makes a request. It often has an implied subject ('you') and usually ends with a period or an exclamation point.

Exclamatory Sentence

A sentence that expresses strong emotion. It ends with an exclamation point.

Usage

The way in which language is conventionally used by native speakers of a language.

Capitalization

Rules governing when to use capital letters, including: The first word of a sentence, Proper nouns (names of specific people, places, organizations, etc.), Proper adjectives (adjectives derived from proper nouns), Titles of works (books, articles, movies, etc.), Days of the week, months, and holidays, The pronoun 'I.'

Punctuation

The system of symbols used to structure and clarify written language. Key punctuation marks include: Period (.): Ends declarative and imperative sentences, Question Mark (?): Ends interrogative sentences, Exclamation Point (!): Ends exclamatory sentences and can add emphasis, Comma (, ): Separates items in a list, sets off introductory elements, separates independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, etc., Semicolon (; ): Joins closely related independent clauses or separates items in a complex list, Colon (:): Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation, Apostrophe ('): Indicates possession or contraction, Quotation Marks (' '): Enclose direct quotations, Hyphen (-): Joins compound words or divides words at the end of a line, Dash (—): Indicates a sudden break in thought or sets off nonessential information, Parentheses ( ): Enclose nonessential information, Brackets ([ ]): Enclose editorial comments or corrections within quotations, Ellipsis (...): Indicates omitted words or a trailing off of thought.

Narrative Writing

Writing that tells a story or recounts a sequence of events. It often includes characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution.

Expository Writing

Writing that informs, explains, analyzes, or clarifies a topic. It relies on facts, evidence, and logical organization. Examples include essays, reports, and articles.

Argumentative/Persuasive Writing

Writing that aims to convince the reader to accept a particular viewpoint or take a specific action. It presents a claim supported by reasons and evidence and often addresses counterarguments.

Descriptive Writing

Writing that uses vivid language and sensory details to create a picture in the reader's mind. It focuses on showing rather than telling.

Prewriting

The stage of the writing process where the writer brainstorms ideas, chooses a topic, considers the audience and purpose, gathers information, and plans the structure of the writing. Techniques include brainstorming, freewriting, outlining, and mind mapping.

Drafting

The stage where the writer puts their ideas down on paper in a coherent form, focusing on getting the content out rather than perfect grammar or mechanics.

Revising

The stage where the writer examines the draft for clarity, organization, development of ideas, and overall effectiveness. This involves making significant changes to the content and structure.

Editing

The stage where the writer focuses on correcting errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage. This ensures the writing is polished and error-free.

Publishing

The final stage where the writer shares their completed work with an audience. This could involve submitting for publication, sharing in class, or posting online.

Chronological Order

Organizing information in the order in which events occurred. Often used in narrative writing and historical accounts.

Spatial Order

Organizing information based on physical location or arrangement in space.

Order of Importance

Organizing information from least to most important or vice versa. Often used in persuasive or argumentative writing.

Cause and Effect

Organizing information by explaining the reasons why something happened (causes) and the results of those events (effects).

Compare and Contrast

Organizing information by highlighting the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.