The last two lessons have focused on phonetics and phonology, two of the subdivisions of the study of language systems (linguistics). Phonetics and phonology both deal with the study of speech sounds but in different ways. Phonetics looks at the speech sounds themselves. Phonology looks at the rules that govern how the sounds combine together. Major phonological issues with implications for teaching ELLs include the ability to identify the phonemes of
a language and the ability to distinguish them from each other with the understanding that they may appear as allophones in actual speech. Another major issue is the ability to subject sounds to the phonological processes that create the appropriate allophones in the appropriate environment.
This lesson will look at yet another of the subdivisions of linguistic communication: morphology or the study of how words are formed. Where phonetics and phonology can best be seen as issues of teaching pronunciation in an ESL classroom, morphology is best seen as the issue of teaching vocabulary in an ESL classroom.
Defining Morphology
Morphology is one of the major subdivisions of linguistics, the division that is concerned with how words are formed. Morphology looks at how words are formed in general, and how words in a particular language are formed. It can also be described as the analysis of word structure.
Communication
Linguistic
Paralinguistic
Extralinguistic
Phonetics
Laughing
Haptics
Phonology
Crying
Proxemics
Morphology
Sighing
Kinesics
Syntax
Pausing
Facial
Expressions
Semantics
Pragmatics
Activity: What is a Word? Video Clip
Before you view the video clip, think about the questions below:
What do you already know about word formation in English?
What terms do you know that are used to talk about word formation?
Curious about the longest and shortest words in English? Click here.
Activity: Word Test 1
How does a child figure out what a word is? What tests can we submit language to in order to determine if something is a word or not? Let's see if we can figure it out by doing the follwoing exercises:
1. What is your name?
Answer in this box:
2. How old are you?
Answer in this box:
If you're like most people, you typed something like Melissa or Jason for the first answer and something like nineteen for the second one.
Since words are free forms, they can appear all alone, or in isolation, such as in an answer to a question. Therefore, it is possible to give one word answers, such as nineteen or Melissa: A possibility that drives many parents and teachers nuts.
Of course, not all answers can be one word long. Answer this question:
3. Where are you sitting?
Answer in the box:
In response to this question, you probably wrote something like at my computer or on the sofa. The answer wasn't one word in most cases, so the "answer-to-a-question" isn't always a reliable test for a word--and parents and teachers are grateful. This means we need another test.
Activity: Word Test 2
Directions: Read the question and then mouse over question mark for answer. Finally, answer the last question.
What eat birds? Is this one word?
What do cats eat? Is this one word?
What do cats do to birds? Is this one word?
How did you know the last answer was more than one word? You just know, right? But how do you know? Do you always have to say eatthem together, or can you separate the two parts from each other as isolated forms? Test to see if eatthem can be separated by anything or if the sounds are in a fixed relationship (i.e. always the same sounds in the same order) to each other. Answer the following question:
What do cats do to mice? Is this one word?
How do you know that this answer is not one word? We have a clue. Them is not in a fixed relationship to eat because it can be used with chase. If them can be in a relationship with chase as well as with eat, it is not part of eat or of chase, so it is possible that it is a different word on its own. Try another question:
What do cats do to chairs? Is this one word?
No, this answer isn't one word, either. We again see them isn't part of sleep because another word, on, intervened.
Conclusion: Defining Words
The tests children use to figure out which parts of language are words and and which aren't include these two major tests: the possibility of speaking the sounds as a free form in isolation and the fact that a form is not in a fixed relationship to another form because it can combine with other forms or other forms can come between the original two.
American Sign Language The sign language used by the deaf community in the United States.
Test of English for International Communication. A standardized exam for Educational Testing Services that is intended to determine the general capability of an NNSE to use English to conduct business. It is used by some businesses, predominantly in Asia, in hiring.
Test of English as a Foreign Language. A standardized exam from Educational Testing Services that is intended to determine the general capability of an NNSE to use English as the language of insruction .It is used as an admissions requirement by most US universities and colleges for international students.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. A term that encompasses both TEFL and TESL. It is the name of the professional organization to which many teachers belong. TESOL the organization has many regional affiliates both in the US and abroad.
Teaching English as Second Language. Refers to the activity of teaching the English language as a tool necessary for some daily task like instruction, shopping, or interpersonal interactions.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Refers to the activity of teaching the English language as an intellectual, academic pursuit to non-native speakers of English.
Native Speaker of English. Refers to a person who acquired English in infancy and young childhood as a first language.
Native Speaker. Refers to a person whose relationship to a language is that it was encountered in infancy and young childhood as the dominant language of the environment.
Non-Native Speaker of English. Refers to a person who didn't acquire English as a first language, but came to it after another language was established.
Non-Native Speaker. Refers to a person whose relationship to a particular language is that he/she didn't encounter it while initially acquiring language, but came to it after another language was established.
Limited English Proficient. An adjectival phrase used to refer to the same students as ELL refers to. LEP is falling into disuse as it focuses attention on student deficiency rather than on the positive attribute of learning. Is being replaced by ELL.
Second Language. Refers to any language gained subsequent to the first or native language. It is acquired or learned secondarily to the native language. Doesn't refer to the ordinal numbering of languages, only to the relationship of a particular language to a persons native language.
First Language. Refers to the language that an individual encounters as an infant and young child; a persons native language.
English for Specific Purposes. Refers to the goal of learning English to use it for highly focused activity, such as for business or for aviation communication.
English as a Second Language Program. refers to a school program that is purposefully structured to provide instruction on the English language to NNSEs. An ESL program does not typically include instruction in any other subjects than English. An ESL program may be a component of a larger ELL program at a school.
English as a Second Language. Refers to the subject matter of the English language and the methodology for teaching the English language to non-native speakers. ESL makes no reference to the subjects other than English, but it is not methodology alone either, it refers to teaching the English language as content area. Typically, ESL refers to the study of English in a country where it is used for at least one daily task, such as instruction, interpersonal relations, or shopping.
English Langauge Learner Program. Refers to a school program that is purposly structured to provide instruction on the English language and instruction in other content areas to English Language Learners.
English Language Learner. Refers to students who are in the process of learning English, whether they are in ESL classes exclusively or a combination of ESL classes and other subject area classes.
English as a Foreign Langauge. Refers to the study of English as an intellectual, academic pursuit, not a a language whose use is necessary or desirable for daily life, although it may be used as a research tool. Typically, EFL is the study of English in a country where English is not a language of instruction or daily interactions, such as in Italy or in Saudi Arabia.
English for Academic Purposes. Refers to the goal of learning English to use it as the language of instruction for other subject areas.
Refers to a school program that is purposely structured so that students will use two languages on a daily basis.
Refers to the use of two languages in any capacity on a daily basis. A bilingual person uses two languages on a daily basis--for work and at home, perhaps, or for different subjects at school. Can also refer to the ability to use two languages, even if not used daily.
