Parkdale Lang Guide to Exam Success

English Language Unit One 2013

What we need to study

• Area of Study OneThe nature and functions of language

• Area of Study TwoLanguage Acquisition

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Key knowledge from VCAA– The properties that distinguish human communication as unique– Language as a meaning making system that is both arbitrary and rule-

governed– The primary modes of language: Spoken, written and sign– Major functions that language serves when used in a given context– The influence of context on language choice– Features that characterise speech and writing– The structure of language, from morphemes to lexemes, to phrases to

clauses, to sentence structures and types– The ways in which language encodes social and cultural understandings,

including linguistic relativism and determinism – Metalanguage to discuss aspects of the nature and functions of human

language

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

What does this mean? Here’s the breakdown…• You need to know the three different modes

of language. What are they?• What does the word ‘arbitrary’ mean?• Why is human communication considered

unique?

Pg 13-19 of your text will help!

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Remember the countless tables you had to fill out for your folio? Now is the time to pull those out and revise the following terms:Function LocaleRegister Audience/InterlocuterMode PurposeField Domain

Check Pg 1-11 of your textbook for revision

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

In AOS 1, we learnt about the five subsystems. While many of you can reel off what they are, how many of you can explain in detail what the terms actually mean? Here they are:• Phonetics and Phonology• Syntax• Semantics• Discourse Analysis• Morphology and Lexicology

Pg 26-27 of your textbook explain this in more detail

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Phonetics and Phonology• The subsystem ‘Phonetics and Phonology’ is

referring to sound.• The two different terms, ‘Phonetics’ and

‘Phonology,’ represent two different meanings within the study of sound. What are those two meanings?

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Places and manners of articulationCan you describe the different places we make

sounds, and how we make them?

Pg 84-91 of your textbook is worth having a look at!

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Semantics– What does this term mean? – Think back to our Metalanguage SAC. There was a

question on connotation and denotation.– Semantics refers to the meaning of words, so why

do the terms connotation and denotation come under this subsystem?

– What does the word onomatopoeia mean?– What is a euphemism?

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Syntax– This is the study of sentences.– There are four types:• Simple• Compound• Complex• Compound-Complex

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

You need to know what each sentence is made up of. Do the following terms sound familiar?– Independent Clause– Dependent Clause– Subject and Verb– Phrase– Can you describe the difference between a phrase and

a clause?

Check the handouts that were given to you in class!

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

We also have four different names for types of sentences, depending on their function. We have:– Declarative– Exclamative– ….– What are the other two? What function does each

different type of sentence serve?

Check the handouts that were given to you in class!

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Morphology and Lexicology– Remember, these words have two different meanings.– Morphology is the changing of words through the addition of

an affix. We have two different terms that we need to master. Inflectional morphemes and Derivational morphemes.

– Lexicology refers to our word bank. We are referring the words that are a part of an individuals vocabulary, that are specific to that person.

Check Pg 48-49 of your textbook!

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Parts of speech is related to our discussion of lexicology. Think back to our Metalanguage test, when you were asked to read an excerpt from Harry Potter and identify the different parts of speech. How confident were you?Revise the following:Common Nouns Proper NounsVerbs PrepositionsAdjectives ArticlesConjunctions Adverbs

Pg 36-43 in your textbook is a good place to look!

Area of Study OneThe Nature and Function of Language

Discourse Analysis

Think back to our Metalanguage test. Can you remember what the term Discourse Analysis

meant? What are we analysing?

Area of Study TwoLanguage Acquisition

Key knowledge from VCAA• The nature and the developmental stages of child

language acquisition• The major theories of child language acquisition• Commonalities and differences between learning a

language as a young child and as an adult, including first and additional language learning

• Phonological, morphological, lexical, syntactic and semantic development in children

• Metalanguage to discuss how language is acquired

Area of Study TwoLanguage Acquisition

Here’s the break down of key things you should know:

The three major theories of language acquisition. What are they? Can you explain

them?

Have a look at Pg 107-110 of your textbook!

Area of Study TwoLanguage Acquisition

Can you identify some major names that played a role in the creation of the different theories?

Noam Chomsky ? ? ?

Area of Study TwoLanguage Acquisition

The different stages of language acquisition.• How many stages are there?• What are they called?• What is involved in each stage?• Give an example of the types of words a child would

display at each stage. Also consider what they may leave out at each stage (hint: conjunctions…)

Pg 76-82 of your text will help you!

Area of Study TwoLanguage Acquisition

We have now all studied the acquisition of a second language. In addition to this, you have experienced learning a second language at some point throughout your education. Define the following terms:• Bilingualism

– Simultaneous bilingualism– Consecutive bilingualism

• Multilingualism

Check Pg 111-114 of your textbook!

Area of Study TwoLanguage Acquisition

A few more key terms…DyslexiaDysphonia

You need to be able to explain what these terms are and the impact they have on

language acquisition.

Some helpful resources• Growing up Bilingual• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAPyoHERyfQ&list=PLB4rsw1cbMr52lr-jJgrZ2YcT0nAOgZ9-

• Language and the brain BBC• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwujZDS-5SM

• How Children acquire and produce language• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i1z37nYMrM

• Stephen Krashen on Language Acquisition • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiTsduRreug

• Stephen Krashen on Second Language Acquisition at Pagoda Academy in Busan Part http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shgRN32ubag

Some helpful resources• Blog• http://blog.thelinguist.com/

• Star Trek Second Language Acquisition• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idZamHQyE7k

• Patricia Kuhl: The Linguistic Genius of babies• http://www.ted.com/talks/patricia_kuhl_the_linguistic_genius_of_babies.html

• Patricia Ryan: Don't insist on English!• http://www.ted.com/talks/patricia_ryan_ideas_in_all_languages_not_just_english.html

• ShaoLan: Learn to read Chinese ... with ease!• http://www.ted.com/talks/shaolan_learn_to_read_chinese_with_ease.html?qsha=1&utm_expid=166907-27&utm_referrer=

http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ted.com%2Fsearch%3Fcat%3Dss_all%26q%3DLanguage%26page%3D2

• Patricia Kuhl: Language• http://www.ted.com/speakers/patricia_kuhl.html

Things to remember

• Don’t freak out. Plan your time effectively, and this will reduce any last minute panic that may occur before the exam.

• Using memory tricks can help. Check out this TED Talk. • http://www.ted.com/talks/joshua_foer_feats_of_mem

ory_anyone_can_do.html

Things to remember

• Make a study playlist. I have a playlist I use when I am making your PowerPoints. If music works for you, use it to help you focus.

• Use flash cards. Make your own set and help each other study. Cheat sheets are also a useful study tool (you can’t bring one into the exam!).

Things to remember

• Get lots of sleep and eat healthy food. Red Bull etc will help you study for a short period of time, and make you flaky for the rest of the day. It’s not worth it!