NAME: ELJEAN S.

LACLAC

MIDTERM

1. Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure, including

the study of morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics. Specific
branches of linguistics include sociolinguistics, dialectology,
psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, historical-comparative
linguistics, and applied linguistics. This field consists of a set of true
facts that can be proven objectively. Furthermore, it uses the scientific
method to determine objective rankings of language quality. Moreover,
the study uses empirical observations to develop theories of language
behavior, thus referred to as science. This means not just looking at
the meaning of words in a language, but at how the language is
formed, the contexts it is used in, and much more. Since it is a
scientific study of languages, there are, of course, numerous schools of
thought related to it. The four main or most well-known linguistic
schools of thought are structuralism, functionalism, generativism, and
cognitivism. In my teaching, I incorporated into my strategies and
approaches the two schools, the functionalism and cognitivism.
Actually, these two are a bit similar to each other in the sense that they
challenge “universal grammar” by suggesting that grammar is not
something that all humans can inherently understand, but rather it is
learned by using the language. I model these linguistic schools through
implementing the descriptivist approach. Since, these are considering
the nature of my learners, the level of their understanding, and the fact
that English language is not our native language. Additionally, I would
be able to model those through emphasizing the importance of social
context and usage of language. Besides from that, my teaching
approaches focus on how language is actually used in everyday life.
2. Speech sounds have various acoustic properties—an acoustic
phenomenon. Finally, as a system of signs used as an instrument of
communication and an instrument of the expression of thought,
language is a social phenomenon of a special sort, which can be called
a semiotic phenomenon. It was defined by one of its founders, the
Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, as the study of “the life of signs
NAME: ELJEAN S. LACLAC

within society.” Imagine having a picnic with a friend and you hear a
buzzing noise you automatically come to the conclusion that the
buzzing noise signifies that there is a bee nearby. This is called
Semiology better known as Semiotics, “this is concerned with anything
that can stand for something else.” Considering this line, “"He didn't
have to tell me-I could see it written all over his face.", also mirrors the
characteristic of a language as a semiotic. Interpreting both verbal and
nonverbal signs, and how the verbal side is called linguistics. The
above-stated statement was normally true, as language could be
interpreted through an individual’s gesture or non-verbal behavior. The
facial expression of a person could say a lot of message he/she wants
to convey. Therefore the semiotics of what we do provides or gives
current details or information to the viewer. Additionally, the concept of
signs is broken down into two parts which involve the Signifier which is
the visible part of the sign and then Signified, which is the idea or
concept of what the signifier represents. Or as mentioned before does
the signifier of sound associated with or image of something and the
signified is the idea of the thing.
3. Grammar, is rules of a language governing the sounds, words,
sentences, and other elements, as well as their combination and
interpretation. The word grammar also denotes the study of these
abstract features or a book presenting these rules. In a restricted
sense, the term refers only to the study of sentence and word structure
(syntax and morphology), excluding vocabulary and pronunciation.
When we say communication the concept of Grammar automatically
becomes an inherent part irrespective of any language. Using incorrect
grammar can lead to sentences being meaningless and the message
unclear, which in turn can lead to misinterpretation by a communication
partner. Improper use of grammar can affect the meaning and clarity in
sentences whether it is written or verbal communication. Using correct
grammar makes listening and reading easier for others to understand
and can make the communication process more enjoyable. Grammar
enhances the knowledge to accurately adjust words in your written or
verbal content thus making it error free and your thought is understood
NAME: ELJEAN S. LACLAC

instantly. There are two primary kinds of grammar, the prescriptive and
the descriptive grammar. A descriptive grammar is a study of a
language, its structure, and its rules as they are used in daily life by its
speakers from all walks of life, including standard and nonstandard
varieties. A prescriptive grammar, on the other hand, specifies how a
language and its grammar rules should be used. A prescriptivist view of
language implies a distinction between “good grammar” and “bad
grammar,” and its primary focus is on standard forms of grammar and
syntactic constructions. Prescriptive grammar will be implemented in
my class especially in formal settings such as exams and speech. It is
necessary that students in delivering their speeches observe and follow
correct grammar rules. On the other hand, in times of informal set-ups
such as literary discussion, sharing of ideas and thoughts about the
topic that we are having, I’ll be delivering descriptive grammar. Since
the latter gives so much consideration on my students as non-native
English speakers.
4. Morphology is the study of words and their parts. Morphemes, like
prefixes, suffixes and base words, are defined as the smallest
meaningful units of meaning. Morphemes are important for phonics in
both reading and spelling, as well as in vocabulary and
comprehension. Teaching morphemes unlocks the structures and
meanings within words. It is very useful to have a strong awareness of
prefixes, suffixes and base words. These are often spelt the same
across different words, even when the sound changes, and often have
a consistent purpose and/or meaning. Through this, students are able
to proceed to the next level of linguistics which is the syntax and they
eventually learn various syntactic rules. The following basic syntactic
rules are where my learners fall short: (1) A complete sentence
requires a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. This
is also called an independent clause. A sentence without a subject and
a verb is considered a fragment. (2)Separate ideas generally require
separate sentences. A sentence containing multiple independent
clauses that are improperly joined is considered a run-on sentence. (3)
The subject comes first, and the verb comes second. This is the
NAME: ELJEAN S. LACLAC

standard syntactic pattern, including the minimum requirements of just

a subject and verb. The subject always comes first. (4) adjectives and
adverbs go in front of the words they describe, (5) A sentence starts
with a capital letter and ends with a period/full stop, a question mark or
an exclamation mark, (6) The subject and verb must agree in number,
that is a singular subject needs a singular verb and a plural subject
needs a plural verb, and (7) Spell a proper noun with an initial capital
letter. To rectify the mentioned learning difficulty I made sure to correct
those whenever they happen. Moreover, to reinforce this, I make sure
that students are provided with worksheets or board works, and even
at least two examples of the correct application of the said rules. These
rules help us make our sentences meaningful and relevant. It makes us
deliver ideas and messages effectively to the receivers that leads to
understanding.