Chapter one and two

One of my team mates posted this website for making your own vocabulary quiz cards...great resource:

http://www.ehow.com/info_7906070_classroom-activities-learn-definitions-words.html

Chapter one and two outline:

                                                                                                                                          Michelle Shiner

                                                                                                            Collaborator                      

Chapter One

I.        Speech, Language and Communication

a.     Speech: Defined as the neuromuscular act of producing sounds that are used in language.

b.     Language:  is a rule-governed symbol system for communicating meaning through a shared code of arbitrary symbols.

                                                               i.      A true language communicates. 

                                                             ii.      Linguists say that in order for a system of communication to be a language, it must be shared by a group of people.  They call this feature a shared code.

                                                            iii.      A third feature of language is that it consists of arbitrary symbols.

c.     Communication:  defined by one author as “the process participants use to exchange information and ideas, needs and desires.  Four elements:

                                                               i.      A sender of the message

                                                             ii.      A receiver of the message

                                                            iii.      A shared intent to communicate

                                                          iv.      A shared means of communication

II.      Language Disorder:  A language disorder is impared comprehension and/or use of spoken, written, and/or other symbol system.  This disorder may involve (1) the forms of language (phonology, morphology, syntax) (2) the content of language (semantics), and/or (3) the function of language in communication (pragmatics) in any combination.

Chapter 2

I.        The Elements of Language

a.     Most linguists identify five major elements: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. 

b.     Alternatively, Bloom and Lahey describe language as consisting of three components:  form, content and use.

II.      Phoneme:  the smallest linguistic unit o sound that can signal a difference in meaning. 

III.    Phonology:  The first of the form elements of language is the study of the sound system of language.  Linguists who are interested in phonology attempt to identify the phonemes of language and the rules that govern the combination and pronunciation of the phonemes.

IV.  Morphology: the study of words and how they are formed.

a.     Morpheme: the smallest unit of meaning in a language.

V.    Syntax: The study of the rules that govern how words are put together to make phrases and sentences. 

VI.  Semantics: the study of the meaning of words.

a.     Selection restrictions:  These rules govern which words can appear together.

VII.Pragmatics:  the use of language for communication or the use of language to express one’s intentions and to get things done in the world. 

Another link posted by my group for additional information:

This link covers disorders, but for chapter 2, look under section B, which gives a brief insight as to what the different elements of language mean.  

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/ammaranas2005/english-language-systems-language-skills-0

This link discusses the importance of understanding the English language as a way to work in a classroom with confidence.  It also briefly discussess phonology, morphology, and syntax.