Language Development

noun a person who is learning the alphabet

adjective arranged alphabetically

• The abecedarian approach to teaching reading focuses on mastering the alphabet before moving on to more complex language skills.
• I heard that abecedarian method is really effective for young kids learning to read.
• I'm trying out the abecedarian way of studying for my exams, starting with the basics and working my way up.
• In the world of cooking, mastering the abecedarian techniques is essential before attempting more advanced recipes.

noun the act of adding an affix to a word to create a new word or modify its meaning

• Affixation is the process of adding prefixes or suffixes to a base word to create a new word.
• When you add a prefix or suffix to a word, that's called affixation.
• I'm gonna affix some cool endings to these words to make them sound awesome!
• In a way, affixation is like adding accessories to a plain outfit to make it more stylish.

noun a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate

• Dysphasia is a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate.
• My grandmother has dysphasia, so we use simple words and gestures to help her understand us.
• I heard that guy at the party has dysphasia, so be patient when talking to him.
• Dealing with dysphasia can sometimes feel like trying to speak a foreign language without knowing any words.

noun the manner in which something is enunciated, especially the articulation of speech sounds

• The professor's enunciation of the complex scientific theory was impeccable.
• I couldn't understand her enunciation, she talks too fast.
• His enunciation was on point during the rap battle.
• The artist's enunciation of emotions through her paintings was truly remarkable.

noun a meaningful linguistic unit consisting of a word or a word element that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts

• In linguistics, a morpheme is the smallest grammatical unit in a language.
• I learned about morphemes in my linguistics class.
• Do you understand how morphemes work in this language?
• Each morpheme is like a puzzle piece that fits together to form words.

noun the words of a nursery rhyme

• The nursery rhyme 'Humpty Dumpty' is a classic piece of children's literature.
• My favorite nursery rhyme growing up was 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'.
• Let's sing that nursery rhyme about the old lady who lived in a shoe!
• The politician's speech was like a nursery rhyme, full of simple rhymes and repetitive phrases.

noun a linguistic phenomenon in which a word or phrase is used in a broader context than is appropriate

• The concept of overextension in linguistics refers to the inappropriate use of a word or phrase beyond its accepted meanings.
• She tends to overextend herself by taking on too many projects at once.
• Don't overextend your budget by splurging on unnecessary items.
• In relationships, emotional overextension can lead to burnout and resentment.

noun a unit of sound in a language that distinguishes one word from another, such as /p/ in 'pat' and /b/ in 'bat'

• In linguistics, a phoneme is a distinct unit of sound in a specific language.
• Teachers often use phonemes to help students improve their pronunciation.
• Some people struggle with differentiating between phonemes when learning a new language.
• The phoneme of laughter is universal across all cultures.

noun a speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetitions or prolongations of sounds, syllables, or words

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• Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by disruptions in the normal flow of speech.
• I noticed you were stuttering a bit during your presentation.
• Don't worry about stuttering, just take a deep breath and keep going.
• Her thoughts were stuttering like a broken record, unable to form a coherent sentence.

noun a language program that uses a combination of speech, signs, and symbols to help people communicate

• The Makaton language program uses signs and symbols to help people communicate.
• My cousin uses Makaton to communicate with her non-verbal son.
• I'm learning Makaton so I can talk to my friend who is deaf.
• Learning Makaton is like unlocking a whole new world of communication possibilities.

noun the ability to express oneself fluently and grammatically in speech

• The oracy skills of the students were evident during the debate competition.
• She's really good at oracy, always able to express her thoughts clearly.
• I need to work on my oracy game before the presentation.
• Oracy is like a tool that helps you communicate effectively in any situation.

noun a speech sound produced by narrowing but not blocking the vocal tract

adjective relating to or denoting a consonant that is produced by narrowing but not blocking the vocal tract

• The phoneme /w/ is an approximant sound produced by rounding the lips.
• In casual conversation, people often pronounce 'approximant' as 'uh-prox-uh-muhnt'.
• I can't believe I nailed that approximant in my speech, it was perfect!
• Her singing voice was like a smooth approximant, gliding effortlessly through the song.

noun a person or thing that stops or halts

verb the action of bringing something to a halt or cessation

• The train will be making its th stopping at the next station.
• We're almost at our th stopping, so get ready to hop off.
• I always miss my th stopping because I never pay attention.
• Life is like a train with many stops, make sure to cherish each th stopping along the way.

noun a linguistic phenomenon where the sound represented by the letter 'yod' is omitted in pronunciation

verb to omit or drop the sound represented by the letter 'yod' in pronunciation

• The linguistic phenomenon known as yod dropping occurs in certain dialects of English.
• I noticed some yod dropping in his speech when he said 'tuna' instead of 'tune'.
• Yod dropping is when you drop the 'y' sound in words like 'new' or 'tune'.
• In the world of phonetics, yod dropping is a hot topic of debate among linguists.

noun BICS

• BICS stands for Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, which are the language skills needed for everyday social interactions.
• Learning BICS is important for being able to communicate effectively with others in casual settings.
• If you want to make friends easily, make sure your BICS are on point.
• Just like a building needs a strong foundation, language learners need to develop their BICS before moving on to more complex language skills.

noun a morpheme added to a base or stem to modify its meaning

• In linguistics, affixes are morphemes that are attached to a word stem to create a new word.
• Adding affixes to words can change their meaning or grammatical function.
• Some people find it confusing to understand the different types of affixes used in language.
• Just like how affixes can change the meaning of a word, our experiences can affix themselves to our memories.

verb to attach or fasten (something) to something else

• The technician is affixing the label to the specimen for identification purposes.
• I'll be affixing the sticky note to the document so we don't forget.
• He's just affixing some bling to his phone case to make it look cooler.
• She is affixing her signature style to the fashion industry with her latest collection.