June 27, 2005
The Sixth Week:
It's Time For the Final Exam
— And Your Papers Are Due.
Dear summer students,
CONGRATULATIONS, DEDICATED STUDENTS of CIED 3263. You have persevered and reached the last week of classes. Your studious effort is commendable, and I applaud your interest and curiosity about language acquisition.
Kudos go to Cassandra, Leia, and Zane for their presentations. They were each informative, helpful, and creative, and I must confess, I was also very proud of them and reassured that each one of you has chosen to be a teacher. I look forward to everyone's presentation.
Final Exam on Thursday, June 30.
A last bit of business as we finish a swift summer semester. We will have the final exam on Thursday, June 30, the same day that the research papers are due. It will be an objective test based on the same format as the mid-term. The information for the test will be taken from the website. I also recommend that you look in the archives from last semester for useful information to support your study.
Here are some questions from previous chapters to guide your review.
Chapter Eight
1. What do the authors mean by function?
A N S W E R :
How we use language apart from the structure or content of the language system; using language appropriately.
2. Define speech act and list the four types.
A N S W E R :
Speech acts are pragmatic units of discourse and involves the participants, the setting, the sequence, and the cultural conventions.
3. List the four aspects of situation and briefly describe each one.
A N S W E R :
Informing — the transfer of descriptive material from one person to the other.
Persuading — using requests, both direct and indirect, to get something done.
Speech play — use of language while playing and playing with language to teach pragmatics.
Metacommunication — communication about communication, or the verbal act of examining communication.
Chapter 11
1. What is the difference between referential and expressive children in learning vocabulary according to Nelson?
A N S W E R :
Referential children focus more on objects in vocabulary development. Expressive children focus on personal relations and feelings.
2. List several factors that affect the process of language learning.
A N S W E R :
Personality
General cognitive style
Perseverance
Curiosity
Sociability
Independence
Gender
3. Identify the SES that uses language to avoid and settle conflicts?
A N S W E R :
Mostly middle-class
4. What lack of experiences disadvantage a child in the school setting?
A N S W E R :
Preschool language experiences
A low value placed on literacy by parents
5. Define nonstandard dialect.
A N S W E R :
A recognizable, consistent variation of a mainstream language that is rule-governed and highly structured and is usually associated with a particular group of people.
6. Discuss the debate surrounding Black English. Be prepared to go beyond the simplistic answer shown here.
A N S W E R :
The deficit approach views Black English as substandard to standard English. The difference approach states that it is a true dialect and not substandard.
7. Discuss the importance of context in establishing communication between middle-class and minority or SES students.
A N S W E R :
Because of the difference in cultural experiences, context is often lost. Middle-class speakers are used to elaboration, the expansive and descriptive aspect of giving information. Minority or SES children can also do this within the context of their experience and background. However, they may not use this technique with "outsiders." Therefore, one must ask them to elaborate, or one must have some experiential knowledge of their backgrounds.
Chapter 12
1. Is there evidence that teaching grammar at the secondary level is effective in improving writing and speaking?
A N S W E R :
NO.
2. What is the difference between implicit and explicit knowledge of grammar?
A N S W E R :
Implicit: students use grammatical forms but do not know that they are following rules.
Explicit: students know what they know. They don't necessarily increase what they know.
3. What are the three dangers in teaching the "new linguistics" to children?
A N S W E R :
It is only descriptive.
It can have unfortunate effects on the classroom atmosphere.
It only focuses on the sentence not on complex ideas.
4. What is a teacher's strongest teaching lever?
A N S W E R :
Modeling.
5. How do children learn to communicate?
A N S W E R :
By communicating
 Freddie A. Bowles
*This is the next step toward THE One World Language.
Step Sixteen: *Your proper nouns imprisoned by the Sith.
Planet Gnosis is ruled by Freddie A. Bowles, a professional educator and fellow at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. An independent entity in the CornDancer consortium of planets, Planet Gnosis is dedicated to the exploration of education and teaching. CornDancer is a developmental website for the mind and spirit maintained by webmistress Freddie A. Bowles of the Planet Earth. Submissions are invited.
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