39 Questions
What is the primary goal of linguistic studies?
To provide accurate descriptions of languages and discover how they work
What is the focus of theoretical linguistics?
Developing theories of language structure and principles
What do phonetics and phonology study?
The sound systems of languages
What branch of linguistics is concerned with the internal structure of words?
Morphology
What is the focus of sociolinguistics?
The connections between language and society
What does psycholinguistics study?
The mental mechanisms of language use
What is the primary difference between theoretical and applied linguistics?
The development of language theories versus practical applications
What is the goal of applied linguistics?
To solve language-related problems using language theories and findings
What is a characteristic of naturalistic materials?
They retain the action-orientated and situated nature of talk
What is a disadvantage of using naturalistic materials?
They can be difficult to acquire recordings of certain topics or phenomena
What is the purpose of interviews in discourse?
To provide an arena for certain practices to take place
What is a characteristic of interviews in discourse?
They tend to be active and sometimes argumentative
What is an advantage of using interviews in discourse?
They allow the researcher to focus on particular topics or themes in a concentrated manner
What is a disadvantage of using interviews in discourse?
The interaction in interviews and focus groups may not be natural
What is an example of a written text?
Diaries, newspapers, blogs, emails or medical records
What is a characteristic of written texts?
They are pervasive and naturally occurring features of everyday and institutional life
What is a key concept that relates a sequence of sentences to other sequences of sentences?
Intertextuality
What is the term for the social role and relationship of the participants in a discourse?
The Situation
What is the concept that refers to the mediators between individuals and society as a whole?
Institution
What is the term for the physical conditions surrounding the speech act?
Setting
What influences the interpretation of discourse?
The situation of discourse
What is the term for the norms of interaction and the norm of interpretation?
Norms
What is the combination of three components that influence the situation in which discourse is produced and processed?
Setting, The Situation, and Norms
What is the term sometimes used to refer to the situation of discourse?
Context
What is the primary concern when arranging things into different groups?
Avoiding overdoing things
What is the difference between coherence and cohesion in the context of text?
Coherence refers to the semantic connectivity of linguistic forms, while cohesion refers to the syntactic connectivity
What is the primary requirement for a sequence of sentences to be considered a text?
The writer must have a conscious intention of achieving specific goals
What is the role of social background in determining the acceptability of a text?
It decides on the acceptability of the text to the audience
What is the purpose of marking sentences or passages with an initial question mark?
To indicate that the sentence lacks internal logic and is not acceptable to the audience
What is the main difference between intentionality and situationality?
Intentionality is subjective, while situationality is objective
What is the primary requirement for a text to be considered informative?
The text must contain new information and be understandable to the audience
What is the primary function of social roles in institutions?
To regulate individual behavior through a system
How do institutions specify their areas of functionality?
By defining their areas more and more precisely
What is the primary difference between the language behavior in lectures and tutorials?
Formality in lectures and informality in tutorials
How do institutions exercise power?
Through their systems of rules
What is the primary focus of research on discourse functions?
The investigation of objectives and effects
What is the relationship between a specific form of language and a specific function?
The specific form of language is influenced by the institutional background
How many different objectives of discourse are there?
Three
What is the primary influence on the investigation of objectives and effects?
None of the above
Study Notes
Introduction to Linguistics
- Linguistics is the scientific study of language, divided into theoretical and applied linguistics
- Theoretical linguistics focuses on developing theories of language structure and meaning
- Applied linguistics combines theoretical linguistics with practical applications to solve problems
Theoretical Linguistics
- Phonetics studies speech sounds in general
- Phonology discusses the principles governing the sound systems of particular languages
- Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words
- Syntax is the study of the structure of sentences
- Semantics is the study of meaning in language
- Pragmatics studies the role of context in shaping language meaning
Applied Linguistics
- Sociolinguistics examines the connections between language and society
- Psycholinguistics studies the mental mechanisms that enable language use
Research Methods
- Naturalistic materials: everyday conversations, telephone interviews, and group discussions
- Advantages: highly natural, retain situational context
- Disadvantages: difficult to acquire certain topics, ethical concerns with secret recording
- Interviews: focused on particular topics, allow for control over participant selection
- Advantages: concentrated analysis, controlled sampling
- Disadvantages: may not be natural due to controlled environment
- Written texts: diaries, newspapers, emails, etc.
- Importance of coherence and cohesion in text interpretation
Textuality
- Intentionality: writers/speakers must have a conscious intention to convey meaning
- Acceptability: texts must be understandable and acceptable to the intended audience
- Informativeness: texts must contain new information
- Situationality: consideration of the situation in which the text was produced and received
- Intertextuality: relationship between texts, referencing prior texts or contexts
Discourse Analysis
- Situation: influence of physical setting, social roles, and norms on discourse
- Institution: social structures that regulate individual behavior, influencing language use
- Objectives and effects: focus on discourse functions, objectives, and effects on the audience
This quiz covers the basics of linguistics, including its definition, types, and branches. Test your knowledge of the scientific study of language!
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
