Appendix 1 Glossary Of Key Terms

Ability to Learn

The AL in the ICPAL language framework: necessary skills and their prerequisites for the acquisition of oral language

auditory figure-ground differentiation

Ability to attend to one sound (e.g. the teacher’s voice) in the presence of other background noise or sound (see also auditory selective attention)

auditory gestalt or closure

Ability to identify partially heard or distorted auditory stimuli, such as part of a word or phrase (e.g. recognise ‘hel_copter’ as ‘helicopter’)

auditory perception

Ability to identify, interpret and attach meaning to sound

auditory selective attention

Ability to attend to one sound for processing while inhibiting others (see also auditory figure-ground differentiation)

aural

Related to the sense of hearing

clause

A group of words, containing a subject and verb, which forms part of a sentence

cognition/cognitive

Mental process of being aware – knowing, thinking, learning, reasoning and judging

content words

Words that carry meaning by themselves (e.g. ‘dog’, ‘glide’, ‘round’, quick’)

Conventions

The C in the ICPAL language framework: rules governing the sounds, words, sentences and genres of language

discourse

Connected oral or written communication more extensive than a single sentence

English Developmental Continuum P–10

Evidence based indicators of progress, linked to powerful teaching strategies and aligned to the progression points and the standards for the English Domain of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards

expression

see expressive language

expressive language

The production of a message through speaking, gestures or writing. Also known as expression, or language production

function words

Words that connect content words together (e.g. ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘however’, ‘then’)

genre conventions

Linguistic rules and conventions for linking sentences into larger text units (e.g. oral recount, giving instructions, monologue)

grammatical conventions

Linguistic rules (conventions) for combining words into sentences. See morphology and syntax

ICPAL language framework

Ideas, Conventions, Purposes and Ability to Learn in both the expressive and receptive areas of (oral) language

Ideas

The I in the ICPAL language framework: meanings of words, sentences, discourse and topics of language

Indicators of Progress

Points on the learning continuum that highlight critical understandings required by students in order to progress through curriculum standards

intonation

Rise and fall in pitch of the voice in speech. See also prosody

language difficulties

Difficulties in acquiring or using language. May be expressive or receptive. These difficulties may involve one, some or all of the phonologic, morphologic, semantic, syntactic or pragmatic components of the linguistic system

language disorder

Extreme language difficulties not accounted for by other factors such as ESL, hearing loss, intellectual disability or social/emotional factors. Diagnosis is made by a multidisciplinary team that includes a speech pathologist and a psychologist. Is also referred to as language disability, language impairment or specific language impairment

Language Support Program Team (LSPT)

Team responsible for implementation of a school-based Language Support Program

meanings

Understanding and expression of exact desired ideas, at a word, sentence, and discourse level

metacognition

Conscious awareness of one’s thinking and learning processes; thinking about thinking

metalinguistics

Conscious awareness of language processes. Ability to talk about language

morpheme

Smallest unit of meaning that is either a word in its own right (free morpheme) e.g. ‘cook’ or part of a word (bound morpheme) e.g. ‘cooking’

morphology

Linguistic study of patterns of word formation in a language; system of word-forming elements (morphemes) and processes in a language

oral language

Verbal communication through spoken symbols; sounds, words, sentences and discourse that represent objects, actions and ideas

pedagogy

Instructional ideas, strategies, skills and practices used to improve student outcomes

phoneme

Individual unit of sound in speech (e.g. ‘s’, ‘sh’, ‘m’, ‘th’)

phonemic awareness

Explicit awareness that spoken words are made up of syllables, which are in turn made up of sequences of phonemes (individual speech sounds)

phonological conventions

Rules for combining sounds to make spoken words

phonological knowledge

What we know about individual sounds (phonemes) in our language

phonology

Study of the sound system of a language

pragmatics

Social use, purpose and implied meaning of oral language, which is dependent on situational context. See also Purposes

prosody

Patterns of intonation and stress placed on sounds, syllables and words in oral language

Purposes

The P in the ICPAL language framework: use of oral language within social interaction; pragmatics

receptive language

Ability to understand a message conveyed by another person via expressive language. Also known as language comprehension

referent

What or who a word or symbol refers to

semantics

Aspect of language that deals with meaning

short-term auditory memory

Ability to retain and immediately recall information that has been heard; temporary storage of information (approximately 30 seconds)

subordinate clause

Dependent clause that is not complete by itself

syntax

Arrangement of words in a phrase or sentence to indicate relationships of meaning

VAEAI

Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc.

VCAA

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

VELS

Victorian Essential Learning Standards