Language and Skills Description Flashcards

What is the term for the grammatical relationship between a verb and the subject or object it is associated with?

Answer: Concord

Concord (or agreement) refers to the grammatical correspondence between subject and verb (e.g., 'she runs' not 'she run') or other grammatical relationships within a sentence.

What does 'lexical chunk' refer to in language description?

Answer: A multi-word unit that is stored and used as a single item, such as 'as a result' or 'on the other hand'

Lexical chunks are multi-word units — phrases, collocations, or formulaic expressions — that are stored and retrieved as single vocabulary items rather than being assembled word by word.

Which of the following describes 'coherence' in a written or spoken text?

Answer: The logical flow of ideas and meaning that makes a text easy to follow and understand

Coherence refers to the overall logical and semantic organisation of a text — how ideas connect and flow meaningfully — whereas cohesion refers to the grammatical and lexical links between sentences.

What is 'weak form' in English phonology?

Answer: A reduced, unstressed pronunciation of a function word, such as 'can' pronounced /kən/

Weak forms are the unstressed, reduced pronunciations of grammatical words (articles, prepositions, auxiliaries) in natural connected speech, such as 'and' /ənd/ or 'for' /fə/.

Which language skill involves understanding the overall meaning of a spoken text without paying attention to every word?

Answer: Listening for gist

Listening for gist means understanding the main topic or general meaning of a spoken text, without attempting to process every detail.

What is 'elision' in the context of connected speech?

Answer: The omission of a sound, typically at the end of a word in rapid speech

Elision is the dropping of a sound in natural connected speech, such as the final /t/ in 'last night' being omitted to produce 'las' night'.