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ENGL 2000-01-- American
Speech Examination Date: Wednesday April 5, 2006. Bring a blue book and ink pen to class for the exam. The following will identify some of the most important terms, concepts, and questions that you will need to know for the first examination. Not all of the questions listed here will appear on the exam. The study guide simply provides you with some specific topics to consider while you study. Examination II will cover Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 in your textbook, along with supplemental information presented in class and on the course website. Chapter 7 (Ethnic Dialects) 1. Be able to define and characterize the differences between and pidgin and a Creole. See http://www.westga.edu/~dnewton/engl2000/pidgin_creole.html on the course website for information about each of these language forms. 2. What is Gullah? 3. What are the two major theories regarding the origins and development of Black English Vernacular (BEV)? Which is regarded by most contemporary linguists as the most credible? (94-95) 4. Be able to provide two examples of characteristics of BEV from each of the following categories: 1) phonological properties; and 2) syntactic properties (not including # 5 below). (96-99) 5. Describe "habitual (or invariant) be" in BEV (and in other AE dialects). Give an example that demonstrates that you understand what this use of be refers to. (98) 6. Give two examples of words with West African roots that have become part of BEV and American English. (99) 7. What is the "Ebonics" debate? (101-102) Chapter 8 (Style in American English) 1. What are the four elements that define situational styles (or communicative situations) in American English? (105) 2. What is jargon? (108) 3. What is the difference between an interactional (or involved) medium and an informational medium? What are some of the characteristics that distinguish these two mediums? See Sets A and B, pages 109-110. 4. Give two examples from the textbook that demonstrate how a casual style of speaking differs from a formal style of speaking. (111-114) Chapter 9 (American Slang) 1. When was the first slang dictionary of the English language published? When was the first of American slang published? (117-18) 2. List three conditions that led to the emerge of American slang. (118-19) 3. What is slang? (119) 4. List five sources of American slang and give an example of a slang word from each. (119-26) 5. One characteristic of American slang its productivity (creating new words). Describe what the following terms mean in terms of producing new slang words and give a slang example of each from the textbook: 1) Compounding; 2) Derivation; and 3) Functional Shift. (129-31) 6. Another characteristic of American slang is its inventiveness. Describe what the following terms mean in terms of producing new slang words or phrases and give a slang example of each from the textbook: 1) metaphor; 2) idioms; 3) hyperbole; 4) metonymy.(132-33). 7. What are the six characteristics of slang? See http://www.westga.edu/~dnewton/engl2000/dialect_levels.html (3.2) Chapter 10 (British and American English) 1. According to Webster's Dictionary (1991), how many English words are of American origin? (139). 2. Give an example of how social-cultural causes create vocabulary differences between British and American English. (140-41) 3. Give an example of how technological causes create vocabulary differences between British and American English. (141) 4. Describe three different linguistic causes that create vocabulary differences between British and American English and give an example of each. (141-42) 5. List five major areas or domains where British and American English words differ and give an example of each. (144-48) 6. Describe three reasons why certain American words have been adopted into British English and give an example of each. (151) Chapter 12 (Economy in American English) 1. What (and when) is the Spelling Reform Board and what recommendations did it make about American English words? (167) 2. Noah Webster's spelling reforms were published in what book and when? Give two examples of his reforms that were adopted and two examples of his reforms that were rejected. (167) 3. In terms of linguistics, what does Economy mean? Give an example (from the textbook) of economy in American English in terms of words and in terms of syntax. (170-72) Chapter 13 (Rationality in American English) 1. What is Rationality? What is the Enlightenment and how does it define the value of human reason and rationality? (177) 2. Why do Webster and the other early political leaders in America want American English to be "rational"? How does the idea of a rational language correspond with the political (democratic) and cultural ideals of the new nation? (177-79) 3. What are the four principles or characteristics of rationality when applied to language? 4. What is redundancy? 5. Give two examples of how American English has attempted to eliminated redundancy in terms of sound and spelling. (180) 6. Give an example of how changes in verb tense have been used to reduce redundancy in American English. (184-85) 7. Give two different examples of how sound-to-spelling correspondences have shaped American English words. (186) 8. How has phonetic spelling influenced American words? Give two examples. (187) 9. What is regularization or regularity? (189) 10. What is the difference between regular and irregular verbs. How do changes in these verb forms demonstrate the process of regularization? (190) 11. What is iconicity? Give two different examples of iconicity. (199-200)
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