Language Learning Principles Quiz

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Questions and Answers

If a person is living in a country where their target language is spoken, what should they prioritize in their learning?

Spoken language and survival vocabulary (correct)

Studying grammar extensively

Writing essays

Reading literature

What is a recommended approach for someone learning a language to communicate effectively with a native family member?

Focusing on academic vocabulary

Concentrating on reading comprehension

Developing routines and using daily activities (correct)

Using a combination of written and spoken language

What is the primary focus for someone learning a language out of mere interest?

Spoken language skills (correct)

Grammar rules

Listening comprehension

Written language skills

When someone is learning a language primarily for travel, what vocabulary should they focus on?

Survival vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

What should a learner do first to understand their language learning needs?

Identify their existing knowledge and future plans Signup and view all the answers

Which principle suggests that repeated practice leads to better language learning outcomes?

Quantity-based learning principle Signup and view all the answers

Why might focusing solely on quality rather than quantity be criticized in language learning?

Because it often overlooks the importance of practice time Signup and view all the answers

What type of vocabulary should someone prioritize if they want to travel in countries where their target language is spoken?

Survival vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

What should you focus on first if you need to learn a language for reading specialized texts?

The technical vocabulary of your subject area Signup and view all the answers

What is an effective strategy for studying unknown vocabulary?

Creating word cards and studying them daily Signup and view all the answers

When learning a language for business, what should be prioritized in learning?

Conversational spoken language Signup and view all the answers

What is the most common motivation for learning a language according to the provided content?

Personal interest in the culture Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of words in a typical text do the most frequent ten words cover?

25% Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy is least effective for someone who needs to study for a degree using a new language?

Memorizing unrelated vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of words do the most frequent 1,000 words typically cover in texts?

80% Signup and view all the answers

What is one key benefit of learning high-frequency words first?

They provide more opportunities for usage Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate number of high frequency words in English identified by vocabulary specialists?

2,000 to 3,000 words Signup and view all the answers

What type of words constitutes most of the high frequency vocabulary?

Content words Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of words in a typical text will usually only appear once?

50% Signup and view all the answers

How many words and phrases are needed for basic communication as a foreign tourist?

120 words and phrases Signup and view all the answers

What should language learners focus on to maximize their study effectiveness?

Reading material with a controlled vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

How long would it take to learn the basic vocabulary for tourist needs?

Four hours Signup and view all the answers

What is a key aspect of learning vocabulary according to the passage?

Identifying which words are useful at each proficiency stage Signup and view all the answers

Where can one find frequency ranked lists of words for language learning?

Sketch Engine Signup and view all the answers

How many different words do you need to know to be familiar with 98% of the words in a friendly informal conversation?

6,000 Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of the principle of balance in language learning?

Having equal time for all four learning strands Signup and view all the answers

What is one benefit of having a teacher to assist with learning a foreign language's sound system?

They help explain how sounds are produced Signup and view all the answers

What should you do if your goal is primarily to read the language?

Shift more time to reading input Signup and view all the answers

How many useful words are sufficient to hold adequate conversations?

1,000 to 2,000 Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the four strands mentioned for a balanced language course?

Translation practice Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of language learning becomes more critical if the target language's sound system differs significantly from your native language?

Understanding the sounds of the language Signup and view all the answers

What rate of word acquisition is typical for native speakers until reaching a vocabulary size of close to 20,000 different words?

1,000 words a year Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a concordancer?

To find examples of words or phrases in a corpus Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about online concordancers is true?

They allow users to search examples from a provided corpus. Signup and view all the answers

What advantage does a concordancer provide when learning a word or phrase?

It offers examples that illustrate context and usage. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a useful function of a concordancer?

Providing idiomatic expressions for language learners Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following concordancers is best known for being free and downloadable?

AntConc Signup and view all the answers

What type of information can a concordancer provide regarding word collocations?

Other words that commonly occur with a specific word Signup and view all the answers

What is a corpus in the context of using a concordancer?

A collection of texts for searching examples Signup and view all the answers

When is it recommended for language learners to start using survival vocabulary?

At the beginning of their language study Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Vocabulary Size

To be familiar with 98% of the running words in a friendly informal conversation or a movie, you need to know around 6,000 different words.
To be familiar with 98% of the running words in a novel or newspaper, you need to know around 8,000-9,000 different words.
Native speakers learn around 1,000 different words a year until they reach a vocabulary size of close to 20,000 different words.
With a vocabulary of 1,000 to 2,000 of the most useful words, you can hold adequate conversations and get most things done.

Four Strands of Language Learning

Learning from meaning-focused input (listening and reading) /
Learning from meaning-focused output (speaking and writing)
Language-focused learning (studying pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, etc.)
Fluency development (getting good at using what you already know)

Principle of Repetition

The more time you spend on something, the better you will become at doing it.

Defining Language Learning Needs

Focus on what you already know and what you plan to do with the language you are learning.
Determine your reasons for learning the language, as this will affect what you need to learn.

Table 2.1: Reasons for Learning a Language and Corresponding Learning Focuses

Reason: I am just interested in the language. Focus: Spoken language should be your major focus at the beginning.
Reason: I am living in a country where this language is spoken and I want to be able to communicate with others. Focus: Spoken language should be your major focus. Make a list of your speaking needs and keep adding to it. Start with some of the Survival vocabulary.
Reason: My partner or another family member is a native speaker of that language. Focus: Spoken language should be your major focus. Start with useful repeated routines such as greetings and talking around daily repeated activities.
Reason: I want to travel in countries where that language is spoken. Focus: You do not need to learn a lot of the language. Learn the Survival vocabulary. Aim for a high degree of spoken fluency with the items in that very limited vocabulary. Put all of the survival vocabulary on to word cards.
Reason: I need to know this language to read books related to my work or subject area. Focus: Begin working with the texts you want to read. Technical words in the subject area make up a very large proportion of the running words in such texts.
Reason: I need to study for a degree using this language. Focus: Start working with the texts you will use in your study. Put unknown words onto word cards and do the same with repeated phrases. Study these cards every day.
Reason: I want to use this language to do business with people who speak this language. Focus: Start working with conversational spoken language and then move to business-focused conversation.
Reason: It is a university or school requirement and I want to pass the final exam. Focus: Get examples of the final exam and prepare for the kinds of questions the exam asks.

Word Frequency Distribution

There is a pattern of word frequency: a small number of words are very frequent, and a large number of words are very infrequent.
The ten most frequent words in English cover around 25% of the words in any text.
The 100 most frequent words cover around 50%.
The most frequent 1,000 words cover around 80% of the words in most texts.
When learning words, it is good to learn the high frequency words first.
Vocabulary specialists typically see the high frequency words of English as consisting of around 2,000 to 3,000 words.
Most high-frequency words are nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs (content words or meaning words).
Half of the words in any text will occur only once in that text.
One of the skills in learning a language is to know what words are worth learning at each stage of your proficiency development.

Survival Vocabulary for Foreign Tourists

With around 120 words and phrases, you can deal with the most basic requirements as a foreign tourist.
These basic requirements include meeting and greeting people, being polite, going shopping, ordering food, seeking directions, reading signs, finding somewhere to stay, talking about yourself, and controlling language input.

Concordancers for Language Learning

Definition: A concordancer is a program that searches for examples of words or phrases in a collection of texts (a corpus).
Benefits: Concordancers show you the range of senses of a word or phrase, how a word or phrase is used, how frequent a word or phrase is, and what words a particular word occurs with.
Online Concordancers: Netspeak, Just the Word, Wordneighbours, Word and Phrase, Compleat Lexical Tutor, and Sketch Engine.
Downloadable Concordancer: AntConc.

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Description

Test your understanding of key concepts in language learning, including vocabulary size and the four strands of learning. This quiz covers the importance of repetition and practical usage in mastering a new language. Challenge yourself to see how well you grasp these foundational principles!