Language+Terms

= = = = =Language Terms =

The following are terms that will provide assistance when teaching English for second language learners.

** affixes: Affixes are word parts that are "fixed to" either the beginnings of words (prefixes) or the endings of words (suffixes). The word disrespectful has two affixes, a prefix (//dis-//) and a suffix (//-ful//). ** ** [|Examples of affixes] The website provides teachers with examples of affixes found in the English language. **

**basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS:** Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) is often referred to as "playground English" or "survival English". it is the basic language ability required for face-to-face communication where linguistic interactions are embedded in a situational context called context-embedded language. BICS is part of a theory of language proficiency developed by Jim Cummins, which distinguished this conversational form of language from CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). [|More information on BICS and CALP] Provides additional information on BICS and CALP.

**blend:** A blend is a constant sequence before or after a vowel within a syllable, such as //cl, br,// or //st//; it is the written language equivalent of consonant cluster. [|Consonant Blends] The website provides teachers with a list of consonant blends found in the English language.

**cognates:** Words in different languages related to the same root, e.g. //education// (English) //and educaci// //ón// (Spanish). [|Cognates in Different Languages] The website provides cognates that are similar in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian, and France.

**cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP):** Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) is the language ability required for academic achievement in a context-reduced environment. Examples of context-reduced environments include classroom lectures and textbook reading assignments, where there are few environmental cues (facial expressions, gestures) that help students understand the content. CALP is part of a theory of language developed by Jim Cummins, and is distinguished from Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). [|More information on BICS and CALP] Provides additional information on BICS and CALP.

**decoding:** The ability to translate a word from print to speech, usually by employing knowledge of sound-symbol correspondences. It is also the act of deciphering a new word by sounding it out. [|Decoding Skills] The website provides more information on decoding.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**fluency:** The ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with proper expression and comprehension. Because fluent readers do not have to concentrate on decoding words, they can focus their attention on what the text means. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">[|Building Fluency] Provides teachers with a list of articles to help build fluent readers.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**grapheme:** A letter or letter combination that spells a single phoneme. In English, a grapheme may be one, two, three, or four letters, such as //e, ei, igh//, or //eigh.// <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">[|Word Families, Graphemes, and Homonyms] The website provides examples and information on graphemes.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**morpheme:** The smallest meaningful unit of language. A morpheme can be one syllable //(book)// or more than one syllable //(seventeen)//. It can be a whole word or a part of a word such as a prefix or suffix. For example, the word //ungrateful// contains three morphemes: //un, grate,// and //ful.// <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">[|List of Morphemes] The website provides examples of morphemes.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**onset and rime:** Onsets and rimes are parts of monosyllabic words in spoken language. These units are smaller than syllables but may be larger than phonemes. An onset is the initial consonant sound of a syllable (the onset of bag is b-; of swim is sw-). The rime is the part of a syllable that contains the vowel and all that follows it (the rime of a bag is -ag; of swim is -im). <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">[|Onset/Rime Games] Provides teachers with ways to teach onset and rime in the classroom.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**phoneme:** The smallest unit of speech that serves to distinguish one utterance from another in a language. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">** [|The 44 Phonemes] The website provides a list of phonemes found in English. **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**phonemic awareness:** The ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in spoken words. An example of how beginning readers show us they have phonemic awareness is combining or blending the separate sounds of a word to say the word (///c/ /a/ /t/ - cat//). <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">** [|Essential Components of Reading Instruction - Phonemic Awareness] The article provides more information on phonemic awareness. **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**slang:** Informal, non-stnadard vocabulary. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">[|Commonly-used American Slang] Provides more than 280 common American slang.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**vocabulary:** Vocabulary refers to the words a reader knows. Listening vocabulary refers to the words a person knows when hearing them in oral speech. Speaking vocabulary refers to the words we use when we speak. Reading vocabulary refers to the words a person knows when seeing them in print. Writing vocabulary refers to the words we use in writing. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">[|Vocabulary & Useful Word Lists] A website that provides useful word lists for ESL students.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**word parts:** Word parts include affixes (prefixes and suffixes), base words, and word roots. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">[|Word Parts List] Provides a list of prefixes, roots, and suffixes.

Reading Rockets. (2011). //Reading glossary.// Retrieved from []
 * Reference:**

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 90%;">//**Enjoy the Wiki!!**// <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 90%;">**Kimberly Gannon** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 90%;">**MTSU Graduate Assistant** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 90%;">kdc3x@mtsu.edu