Glossary of Terms.

Accuracy
Acquisition
Active Skills
Analysis

Authentic
Materials
Behavioural
Environment

Behaviourism

Common Core
Common Core
English
Communicative
Approach

Communicative
Competence

Competence
Curriculum
Deductive
Approach

Direct Method

Drill

EAP

Using the target language (especially its grammar and pronunciation) without error. See
Fluency.
The process by which a child acquires its mother tongue, i.e., unconsciously and without rules.
Contrasted with learning a foreign language.
Speaking and writing as opposed to listening and reading (the passive skills). Also called
productive skills.
Analysis refers to the ability to break down material into its component parts so that its
organisational structure may be understood. This may include the identification of the parts,
analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of the organisation principles
involved. Learning outcomes here represent a higher intellectual level than comprehension and
application because they require and understanding of both the content and the structural form
of the material. (From: Major Categories in the Cognitive Domain of the Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives. Bloom, 1956).
Materials which are produced for use in the real world and not for language teaching. These
materials are then adapted for use in language teaching. See REALIA.
This is an important element of what Lewin calls life space, within which there may be
locomotion towards a situation which satisfies a need. What this situation is depends upon the
individuals perception of his environment and how it can meet his needs. The behavioural
environment on which this situation depends is the interrelationships among past achievement,
momentary goals, social atmosphere and individuality. (Rivers, 1984)
A psychological theory associated with B.F. Skinner. The basis of the theory is that learning is a
process of habit formation. Students give a response to a stimulus or cue, and this response
must then be re-enforced and rewarded. See also DRILL.
Those features of English found in all, or nearly all varieties.
The English necessary for social communication, on which most course-books other than those
concerned with English for Specific Purposes are based. See Communicative Approach.
The communicative approach sees language as a tool and recognises that we do things with
English. It is therefore, divisible according to what we need to do with the language whilst
recognising that there is a common core. (See COMMON CORE). In general, the communicative
approach to language teaching can be seen to embrace four separate but related activities:
needs analysis, syllabus design, methodology and materials development.
The ability to transmit and receive meaningful information. A newer concept of communicative
competence looks at language rather as a social phenomenon- it still includes the idea of
grammatical competence (the how), but puts this in a broader framework, so that the proficient
language user knows not only how to use the language, but, to quote (Hymes 1970) he knows
when and when not to speak, what to talk about, with whom, when, where, and in what
manner.
is a mentalistic notion used initially by Noam Chomsky, to indicate a system of internalised rules
first mastered by a child in his/her acquisition of language.
Course of study, embracing all subjects, at an educational institution, or within a national
educational system.
In a deductive approach, the rules, patterns, or generalisations are presented to the student,
and then he or she is given ample opportunity to practise the new feature of grammar.
Considered to be an effective method of presenting irregular patterns or exceptions to general
patterns. This approach contrasts strongly with an inductive approach where language is
presented in such a way that the student can discover for him or herself how it works. See
Inductive Approach.
An approach to the teaching of a foreign language characterised by emphasis on presenting
words and sentences to the student in ways that will show their meaning without translation or
grammatical analysis. See Deductive Approach.
An intensive exercise designed to give students repetitive practice in an item to be learned. Drills
are usually spoken.
English for Academic Purposes

ECP
EFL
EGP
EIP
ELT
EOP
EPP
ESL
ESOL
ESP
EST
Evaluation

Fluency
Function
Functional
English
Grammar
Humanistic
Approach
Inductive
Approach

Interlanguage

IPA
Knowledge

Lexical
Metalanguage
Methodology
Paradigm
Pedagogy
Philology
Phonemic Script
Phonetics

Phonology 1

English for Commercial Purposes

English as a Foreign Language
English for General Purposes
English for Industrial Purposes
English Language teaching
English for Occupational Purposes
English for Professional Purposes
English as a Second Language
English for Speakers of Other Languages
English for Specific Purposes / English for Social Purposes
English for Science and Technology
Evaluation is concerned with the ability to judge the value of material for a given purpose. The
judgements are to be based on definite criteria. Learning outcomes in this area are highest in
the cognitive hierarchy because they contain elements of all of the other categories in the
cognitive domain (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis), plus conscious
value judgements based on clearly defined criteria. (From: Major Categories in the Cognitive
Domain of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Bloom, 1956).
Using the target language primarily to put across a message rather than to demonstrate
knowledge of the rules. See also Accuracy.
The use to which a piece of language is put in a social context to communicate messages of
different types.
Language related to the working of society.
The science of the structure of a language and the rules and the principles of its generally
accepted use.
Approaches to, or activities in, language teaching which emphasize effective factors and
interpersonal aspects of the classroom situation.
In an inductive approach students are given examples of the grammatical structure to be
learned. After the examples have been practised, the students are guided in forming a
generalisation about the grammatical principle they have been working with. See Deductive
Approach.
As the learner passes from beginner to near-native competence, he formulates grammars which
approximate more and more closely to that of the target language. Each of those immediate
grammars is referred to as an interlanguage.
The International Phonetic Alphabet
Knowledge is defined as the remembering of previously learned material. This may involve the
recall of a wide range of material, from specific facts to complete theories, but all that is
required is bringing to mind of the appropriate information. Knowledge represents the lowest
level of learning outcome in the cognitive domain. (From: Major Categories in the Cognitive
Domain of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Bloom, 1956).
Pertaining to the vocabulary of the language (the content and function words).
Language used to describe the structure of other language; any language whose symbols refer to
the properties of the symbols of another language.
This system used for the communication of teaching points from teacher to learner(s).
A set of forms derived from one root or stem which are distinguished one from another.
The science / art of teaching.
The science and scientific study of language, words and linguistic laws. The term philology was
practically synonymous with linguistics which has largely superseded it.
A set of symbols for the transcription of spoken language, standardized by the International
Phonetics Association (IPA).
The science, study, analysis and classification of the physical properties of sounds, including the
study of their production, transmission and perception. (Cf acoustic phonetics, articulatory
phonetics, experimental phonetics, genemmic phonetics, physiological phonetics.) Many
authors use the terms phonetics and phonology indiscriminately and interchangeably.
The study of sounds, intonation, rhythm, stress and pauses in the language. (Includes the study
of phonetics and phonemics).

Phonology 2
Realia
R.P.

Silent Way
Target Language

Transfer

TESOL

The whole sound system of a particular language, e.g. He studied the phonology of English.
Real things, which may be used in the classroom as an aid to teaching.
Received pronunciation. The English used by educated native speakers in south-east England.
Still widely considered accepted pronunciation. There is however a tendency for RP to carry the
connotation of high social class and privilege that British Public School pronunciation and RP
have had in the past.
An approach to language teaching which minimizes the speaking role of the teacher.
The language being taught or learned. This term is sometimes preferable to foreign language,
because the language being taught or learned may not be a foreign one. It is sometimes less
ambiguous than second language because the target language may be the third or fourth
language for a particular individual. A second language may also refer to a non-native language
taught or learned for national communication.
The extension of a native language habit into the target language with or without the awareness
of the learner. When the transferred habit is acceptable in the target language, we have
FACILITATION. When the transferred habit is unacceptable in the target language, we have
INTERFERENCE, and an extra learning burden is assumed.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language. An Umbrella term used to cover all other
English Language acronyms.