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English Language Study

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English Language Study
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Welcome to the English Language Study Set. Here, you can remind yourself of the wonders of English, get an overview of the things and skills you can learn in this study set, and understand through examples how your English language knowledge can be applied to your studies and in the wider world.

Why Study English Language?

Grammar, figurative language, vocabulary - these are all essential parts of language, but what's the point of studying them? Well, because language is quite literally everywhere. It's the books we read, the movies we watch, and the advertisements we consume. It's how we build relationships, communicate knowledge, assert power, tell jokes, and tell lies. Language can not only share ideas, but it can influence people's behavior and make them believe in certain things and distrust others.

The importance of language is all around us; we just forget to notice it sometimes.

By studying language, we can reveal a whole world that has previously been hiding in plain sight and begin to understand the following things a little deeper:

  • The power and influence language can have

  • How narratives are built

  • The history behind words

  • How language can change human behavior

  • How language can be used creatively

  • Branding and marketing

  • The arts

  • Politics

  • History

Studying language also develops critical thinking skills and encourages us to 'read between the lines' to reveal all the meanings language can carry.

English Language Study, Image of woman reading a newspaper, StudySmarterStudying language can help us to 'read between the lines'

Why English?

So, we now have a good idea as to why studying language can be so beneficial, but why study English?

Did you know that English is the most widely spoken language and has over 1.5 billion users worldwide, making it the world's official lingua franca.

Lingua franca - a common language used between people who do not share the same first language. For example, German and Chinese speakers would likely communicate in English.

Here are a few facts about the result of English being a global language:

  • Over 60% of the internet's content is in English
  • Over 50% of the world's multinational corporations/companies use English as their working language
  • The most widely-read newspaper worldwide is in English

Studying the English language is a good place to start if you want to understand how the world works.

There are so many versions of English out there too, from different dialects across the United States to pidgins and creoles in the Caribbean. The learning never ends!

English Language Study Topics

Let's look at the subjects you'll find in the English Language Study Set.

We'll begin with Modern English - this refers to the contemporary use of English, including the English adopted by the United States and several other countries during British colonization.

The topics within Modern English include;

  • Figurative language

  • Grammar

  • Punctuation

  • Spelling

We'll also cover English Vocabulary, looking at;

  • Idioms and proverbs

  • Dictionaries

  • Denotative and connotative meanings

  • Word history

Finally, we'll look at different registers and dialects.

Let's now take a closer look at some of these subjects and the types of things you can expect to learn in this study set.

Grammar

Grammar is what we use to structure language. It allows us to construct sentences successfully, discuss things that have happened in the past or will happen in the future, describe the state an action or event is in, create new words, highlight precisely who, what, and where we're talking about, and more.

Grammar is often described as the 'rules' of a language, but it isn't quite that simple. While some people believe there is a right and a wrong way to use grammar (we call these people prescriptivists), others believe grammar is an observation and description of how we (the speakers) use and structure a language (we call these people descriptivists).

Grammatical features you can study include:

  • Tenses

  • Aspects, e.g., progressive and completed

  • Word classes, e.g., noun, verb, preposition, etc.

  • Types of phrase, e.g., adjective phrases

  • Types of sentences, e.g., simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex

  • Sentence functions, e.g., declaratives (which make a statement), interrogatives (which ask a question), etc.

  • Clauses, e.g., independent and dependent clauses

  • Grammatical voice, e.g., active and passive voice

  • Conditional sentences, e.g., If I were rich, I'd offer to buy Twitter

  • Modifiers, e.g., adjectives and adverbs

Figurative Langauge

Figurative language is the use of words and phrases beyond their literal meaning. Usually used creatively, figurative language can help the listener/reader imagine ideas, thoughts, and feelings in a way standard language cannot. For example, saying I'm drowning in assignments paints a better picture than I have a lot of assignments.

Things you can study under figurative language include:

  • Metaphors, e.g., She is life

  • Similes, e.g., He was sleeping like a log

  • Personification, e.g., The wind whispered to her

  • Hyperbole, e.g., We waited for 1000 years

  • Metonymy, e.g., She moved to The Big Apple

Idioms and proverbs

Idioms and proverbs are similar in that they are everyday uses of language that have meanings above and beyond their content words; however, there are a few differences between them.

Idioms are everyday expressions that only make sense as a whole - when they are reduced to each individual word, they usually don't make sense or don't have the same meaning as the expression as a whole. For example, 'It's a piece of cake'. Here the speaker is saying something is easy, not that it resembles a cake.

Proverbs are short sayings that have usually been around for a while and offer insight, knowledge, or advice. Just like idioms, they should be kept as whole expressions; however, they can be broken down and still make sense but may not give the intended meaning. For example, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. - this phrase is used to discuss meaningful tasks that take a long time, not to discuss the creation of Rome.

English Language Study, Image of builder and Rome, StudySmarterNot all proverbs should be taken literally

Dictionaries and Word History

This subject may not seem that exciting, but there is so much information we can gain from dictionaries. We can learn a word's etymology, whether it has Latin, Greek, or Anglo-Saxon roots (or is a newer word), its word class, pronunciation, and its synonyms and antonyms.

Etymology - The history of a word, including its roots and any previous meanings in other languages.

Did you know, as well as traditional monolingual dictionaries, you can also get bilingual dictionaries, multilingual dictionaries, and rhyming dictionaries?

Denotative and Connotative Meanings

We all know that words carry meaning, but did you know that many words in English have two different types of meaning? A word's denotative meaning is its literal meaning and the definition you'll likely find in the dictionary. On the other hand, a word's connotative meaning is all the extra associated and implied meanings that word 'carries'. Many words will either carry a positive connotative meaning or a negative one.

Blue

Denotative meaning - A primary color

Connotative meaning - Sadness

Registers

In language, the term register refers to how we grade or change our language use depending on our audience. Think about the way you would speak to your Principal compared to your best friend - you would likely switch between a formal register to an informal register.

The registers we use when communicating can tell us a lot about identity, belonging, relationships, and power dynamics.

Dialects

Dialects are language varieties influenced by the language users' social factors. The most common type of dialect is a geographical dialect, where the language is spoken and influenced by people who live in the same area. Dialects can differ from the standard form of a language, e.g., American English (AmE), in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is one of the most widely spoken dialects in the United States.

English Language Study Skills

Studying English Language can help you develop several skills that can be utilized in your day-to-day life and future careers. Some of these skills include:

  • Critical thinking

  • Communication skills

  • Language analysis

  • Empathy

  • Creativity

The skills and knowledge you can gain from studying English Language would be helpful in several careers, such as writing, teaching, PR and advertisement, publishing, speech therapy, translating, interpreting, and more.

English Language Study Skills in Your Exam

In your English language exam, you'll likely be asked to analyze and write about a hidden text. To successfully analyze and 'pick apart' language, you first have to understand it. This means understanding how grammar, figurative language, vocabulary, registers, dialects, and more all work together to create meaning in context and backing up your analysis with evidence.

You'll also need to show that you can recognize and use the correct terminology, so it's a good idea to take some notes as you study!

English Language Study - Key takeaways

  • Studying English Language can help us understand the world around us better, including history, politics, the arts, media, power dynamics, and representations of people.
  • Studying language can also improve our critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills, as well as making us more understanding and empathetic.
  • Topics you can find within the English Language Study Set include grammar, figurative language, vocabulary, word histories, registers, and dialects.

Frequently Asked Questions about English Language Study

To improve your English skills, you should try studying more grammar. Grammar adds structure to language and can help you form sentences and longer passages of speech. You should also study phrases of speech such as phrasal verbs and idioms. These are expressions that have a different meaning when spoken as a whole compared to the meaning of each individual word.

The 5 main English language skills are: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, and Grammar 

English language is a language - when we study English language, we look at grammar, syntax, vocabulary, semantics, punctuation, etc. 


English studies is a broader discipline that studies the language as well as English literature, culture, poetry, language arts, and more.

There are many different fields within English you can study. Some examples include:

  • Linguistics
  • Literature 
  • Sociolinguistics 
  • World Englishes
  • Rhetoric 
  • English language teaching 
  • Composition studies
  • American literature, British literature, Indian literature, etc.
  • Discourse Analysis 

Unfortunately not, but with help from StudySmarter, you'll be an English master in no time!

Final English Language Study Quiz

English Language Study Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

Question

True or false, it's always possible to directly translate phrases?

Show answer

Answer

False

Show question

Question

Fill in the blank:

Most bilingual dictionaries are _____.

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Answer

Bidirectional 

Show question

Question

What is a lexicographer?

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Answer

Someone who writes and compiles dictionaries 

Show question

Question

Why is it important to pay attention to the word class (part of speech) when using a bilingual dictionary? 

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Answer

Looking at the word class can confirm we are looking at the correct word, and not at a homonym (words that are spelt the same but have a different meaning).

Show question

Question

How is a word's pronunciation usually represented in a bilingual dictionary?

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Answer

Using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

Show question

Question

Fill in the blank:

When searching for a word in a bilingual dictionary, you should look for its ____ ____.

Show answer

Answer

Base form

Show question

Question

How can culture affect the use of bilingual dictionaries?

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Answer

Some phrases are only understood in certain cultures. 

Show question

Question

Which type of dictionary is best for competent language users?

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Answer

Monolingual dictionary 

Show question

Question

Which type of dictionary focuses on translation?

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Answer

Bilingual dictionary 

Show question

Question

List five things a bilingual dictionary entry would likely contain.

Show answer

Answer

  • Translation 
  • Pronunciation in IPA 
  • Sentences using the word in context
  • Gender 
  • Word class

Show question

Question

True or false, it's a good idea to use a bilingual dictionary as the main tool for language learning?

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Answer

False

Show question

Question

What percentage of words from the English language are borrowed from other languages?

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Answer

80%

Show question

Question

Name the three languages with the most influence on modern English

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Answer

Latin, French, German 

Show question

Question

True or false?


Loanwords are temporary and should be given back to the original languages.

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Answer

False

Show question

Question

What are loanwords?

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Answer

Words that are taken from one language and then incorporated into another language's vocabulary.

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Question

Fill in the blank:


English is a _______ language.

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Answer

Germanic

Show question

Question

True or false?


Loanwords often do not need to be translated from the original language.

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Answer

True

Show question

Question

In German, 'Kindergarten' means what?

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Answer

Garden of children 

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Question

The word 'karaoke' derives from which language?

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Answer

Japanese

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Question

The word 'enthusiasm' came from which Latin root word?

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Answer

Enthusiasmus

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Question

True or false?


Loanwords may be altered slightly from the original root words, e.g. differences in spelling/pronunciation.

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Answer

True

Show question

Question

The word 'patio' derives from which language?

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Answer

Spanish

Show question

Question

The word 'pasta' derives from which language?

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Answer

Italian

Show question

Question

The word 'café' derives from which language?

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Answer

French

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Question

True or false?


The word 'anonymous' is a loanword from Greek.

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Answer

True

Show question

Question

'Noodle' derives from which German word?

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Answer

Nudel

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Question

Who coined the term textspeak?

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Answer

Linguist David Crystal

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Question

In linguistics, what are characters?

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Answer

Any signs or symbols used to represent language, e.g. letters, numbers, spaces, punctuation 

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Question

Explain the link between text speak and identity

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Answer

Text speak is often the way we talk to our friends and members of our social groups. Having a shared 'language' that separates us from other social groups can help build social bonds and affect the way we identify with ourselves and others. 

Show question

Question

Pick the best word to describe someone who views text speak as innovative and exciting 

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Answer

Descriptivist 

Show question

Question

Pick the best word to describe someone who believes text speak is 'wrong'

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Answer

Prescriptivist 

Show question

Question

What can capital letters signify in text speak?

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Answer

Change in volume or tone of voice 

Show question

Question

Fill in the blank:

'FTW' is an example of an _____

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Answer

Initialism 

Show question

Question

What is disemvoweling?

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Answer

Removing the vowels from words, e.g., RDY = ready 

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Question

What is 'C U L8R' an example of?

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Answer

Gramogram

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Question

Why is context important when using emojis?

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Answer

Because some emojis can have multiple meanings. 

Show question

Question

Explain the difference between connotative and denotative meanings

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Answer

  • Connotative is the literal meaning
  • Denotative is any implied meanings 

Show question

Question

Fill in the blank:

Text speak is usually _____

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Answer

Informal

Show question

Question

What text speak features are in the following message?


'CYA 2MOZ Yh?'

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Answer

  • gramogram - C for see and for to
  • disemvoweling - yh for yeah

Show question

Question

What text speak features are in the following message?


'Busy ATM TTYL <3'

Show answer

Answer

  • Omission - removal of the word I'm
  • Initialisms - ATM and TTYL
  • Logogram - <3


Show question

Question

True or false, features in text speak are often found in writing outside of online communication.

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Answer

False. Studies have found minimal examples of students using text speak outside of online communication

Show question

Question

True or false?


Proverbs and proverbial phrases are the same.

Show answer

Answer

False

Show question

Question

True or false?


A proverb is a type of fixed expression.

Show answer

Answer

True 

Show question

Question

True or false?


A proverb doesn't state a general truth or give advice.

Show answer

Answer

False

Show question

Question

What is a proverb?

Show answer

Answer

A traditional, well-known phrase or expression.

Show question

Question

True or false?


Proverbs can have either literal or figurative meanings.

Show answer

Answer

True

Show question

Question

Fill in the blank:


The ________ meaning of a proverb is usually more complex and specific than its literal meaning

Show answer

Answer

intended

Show question

Question

Proverbs can be difficult for ________ speakers of English to understand.

Show answer

Answer

non-native

Show question

Question

A declarative proverb does what?

Show answer

Answer

gives a statement

Show question

Question

An imperative proverb does what?

Show answer

Answer

tells someone what to do

Show question

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