Key Terms

When teaching pronunciation, it is often more beneficial to teach a rule which 90% of spoken language follows, then to focus on a rule that only governs 10% of spoken language use.

Giving in to the demands of the other party; not standing up for one's own interests

The ability to use correct and appropriate language, such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and discourse, to convey meaning.

learners who go beyond simply hearing the speaker. They focus, engage, and try to understand the meaning by asking questions and showing they are following along.

The addition of extra sounds; likely results from an L1-L2 conflict.

The overarching group which contains prefixes, suffixes, interfixes, and circumfixes. English only has prefixes and suffixes, however.

These sounds are made through the combination of a stop and a fricative. First, air pressure is built up, like in a stop, but rather than exploding out, the air flows through a narrow passage, like a fricative.

With the tongue tip on or near the top teeth, in sounds like /t/ (Top) or /z/ (Zap)

The group which contains all of the liquid and glide sounds -- /r/, /l/, /w/, and /y/

The airflow moves relatively freely around the tongue

Software programs designed to accomplish specific tasks using AI technology. AI tools can analyze data, identify patterns, and automate processes.

Aspiration, or an aspirated consonant, is the strong burst of breath that accompanies the release of some consonant sounds, such as /p/, /t/, and /k/.

Avoiding the conflict at all costs; pretending it isn't there.

Between the lips, in sounds like /m/ (Mom) or /p/ (Pop)

Native speakers largely agree upon the meaning of the intonation pattern, such as a question or a statement.

Used to conclude a discussion of a topic, these questions often allow a party to emphasize a point already made or to provide any additional information that was not covered already.

Words having the same linguistic derivation as another word. That is, sharing the same original word or root. For example, the English word "cold" is a cognate of the German word "kalt."

An example of how cognates can change word stress would be the English word orGAnism and the Spanish word orgaNIsmo.

Using problem solving skills to provide positive outcome for both parties.

Prioritize one's own goals at the expense of the other party's goals.

The ability to use sophisticated and varied language structures, including advanced grammar, diverse vocabulary, and intricate sentence constructions, to convey nuanced and detailed meaning.

Compound words are formed when two or more words are joined together to create a new word that has an entirely new meaning.

Both parties give up and get a part of their goal.

There are approximately 25 distinct consonant phonemes in NAE, and they can be distinguished along three dimensions: voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation.

The deletion of sounds; likely a result of an L1-L2 conflict.

Between the teeth, in sounds like /θ/ (Thick) or /ð/ (Then)

Inherent qualities of mind and character; attitudes or beliefs.

When a produced sound cannot be identified by the L1 or L2; likely the use of a sound which is unknown to the listener, though this type of error is understudied.

A domino effect (idiom) is when you make a change to one behavior and it activates a chain reaction, causing a shift in related behaviors as well.

English as a Lingua Franca (or sometimes referred to as English as an International Language).

Make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.

The ability to speak smoothly and continuously, without excessive pauses, hesitations, or repetitions.

Air is restricted by a narrow passage formed by various parts of the mouth and tongue, but is not completely stopped.

Producing good or helpful results; productive.

Functional load is a measure of the number of minimal pairs which can be found for a given opposition. For example, /f/-/p/ and /l/-/r/ are very common minimal pairs with high functional loads in English. Sounds with high functional load, if pronounced incorrectly, are more likely to be confused with a different word, complicating a listener's comprehension or understanding.

The airflow moves relatively freely around the tongue

Produced not so much in the mouth, but by air passing from the windpipe through the vocal cords, in the sound /h/ (Hi)

Refers to much more subjective meanings, such as emotions or attitudes. This can vary greatly from listener to listener.

The parties involved are dependent on each other within their relationship.

Participants in a discussion, both sending and receiving messages.

the task of decoding the message that requires the listener to give meaning to the verbal and nonverbal symbols used by the speaker.

When the top teeth connect with the bottom lip, in sounds like /f/ (Fit) and /v/ (Vine)

The airflow moves relatively freely around the tongue

refers to how the sound is made. In NAE, there are six manners of articulation: Stop, Fricative, Affricate, Nasal, Liquid, and Glide.

A long, tedious speech by one person.

These sounds occur when the oral passage is closed and the air flows through the nasal cavity instead

With the tongue blade (the part right behind the tip) or body near the roof of the mouth (or the hard palate), in sounds like /ʃ/ (Shop) or /dʒ/ (Gym)

the decision to focus on one source of sound.

Refers to where the sound is made in the mouth. In NAE, there are seven places of articulation: Bilabial, Labiodental, Dental, Alveolar, Palatal, Velar, and Glottal.

Used to introduce a topic for discussion and to acquire a sense of the other party's perceptions regarding the topic.

Prominence--also call focus, phrase stress, or primary phrase stress--describes the pronunciation adjustments English speakers make to focus listeners’ attention on whichever words contribute the most to their message.

Deliberately causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction.

the process of acquiring information the speaker is disclosing to you including nonverbal action.

the listener’s reaction to the speaker’s message.

Used as follow-up questions to primary questions; typically phrased in such a way to limit the number of possible responses.

The individual sounds of a language, typically divided into vowels and consonant sounds.

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, Job Outlook, 2015, www.naceweb.org.

Acronym; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

When the airflow is stopped or blocked completely before being released

A person or thing under the authority or control of another.

When one sound is quite literally substituted for another sound; likely the result of the new sound not existing in the speaker's native language.

Relating to the healing of disease; curing or restorative.

With the tongue body on or near the back of the mouth’s roof (or the soft palate), in sounds like /g/ (Gap) or /ŋ/ (Sing)

Simply refers to whether the vocal cords are vibrating and can be easily determined by gently placing the thumb and index finger around the throat (just about where the Adam’s apple is). If a sound is voiced, you will feel the vibration on your fingertips; if not, then it is not a voiced consonant sound.

Vowel quality is the property that makes one vowel sound different from another. The vowel quality is determined by the position of the lips, tongue, and lower jaw, and the resulting size and shape of the mouth.

A vowel template, much like any other template, is the pattern of stressed and unstressed vowels within a given word.

They are the core of the syllable are produced with a relatively open vocal tract. In NAE, there are approximately 15 vowel sounds.