scholarly journals Blend Words and Their Influence on the Lexicon and Future of English Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Laila Othman Baram ◽  
Aram Kamil Noori
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Life Change ◽  
Word Choice ◽  
Formation Processes ◽  
Basic Point ◽  
New Words

This research studies the widening range of forming and using blend (portmanteau) words in English language. It sheds light on the fact that most blend words are exocentric not only for second language learners but also to natives too, since they have not been listed in English dictionaries. Even if listed; still the continuous process of forming blend words will leave no room to catch up with listing all of them. English nowadays has become the most dominant language and at the same time it has been influenced by some factors as much as it has been influential. In terms of word formation processes especially blending, one can realize how rapidly and unexpectedly new words are coined for new purposes in accordance with daily life needs. In this era of speed; English native speakers, as their nature, do like to economize in their word choice especially in their word formation processes such as blending, acronyms, clipping and all types of abbreviations. In fact, the inevitability of life change as the result of daily life’s needs inventions influences English language in many ways. In addition, the policy of economizing and being selective reflects well on letter choice and word forming processes. In relation to this, the consequences of life change can be noted in studying blend forms in English. Some simple examples are: blunch, chexting, spork, feminar, brinner, brunch, fanzin, hubot, smog, etc. In a nut shell, the research states the inevitable and intriguing change of English words in the process of blending in which two or more words are cut and mixed together to form a new form, called a blend word. One basic point here is that a blend word is not simply one word; brinner as an example is formed from three other words (breakfast + lunch + dinner) to describe a situation in which you just have one meal instead of the three. Most of blend words have not so far been listed in English dictionaries. So this continuous process of forming new words does a great change to English vocabularies now and in the upcoming years.

COVID-19: On the Peculiarities of Lexical Neoplasms Emerged During the Coronavirus Pandemic (Based on the English Language Material)

2021 ◽  
pp. 44-48
Author(s):  
O. Polonskaya ◽  
Ya. Polonskaya
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Formation Processes ◽  
New Words ◽  
The Subject

The proliferation of new words and phrases accompanying the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has led to new lexical and sociolinguistic changes that have become part of our lives. The present study attempts to examine the nature of new English words and expressions that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the type of word-formation processes that contributed to the emergence of these neologisms in English. The problem is that the emergence of a large number of neologisms associated with the COVID 19 pandemic creates difficulties when translating and applying them in speech. The object of the study is neologisms that appeared during the period of the COVID pandemic in the English language in 2020-2021. The subject of the research is the peculiarities of the formation of neologisms in modern English. The relevance of this work is conditioned by the need to study the new vocabulary that appears in speech due to the changes taking place in modern society under the influence of globalization. Language reflects today's changes as a global and unprecedented phenomenon, the memory of which will remain in history. Lexical neoplasms emerged during the pandemic period allow people to be versed in what is happening, regulate relationships and adapt to new living conditions.

COVID-19 trending neologisms and word formation processes in English

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-42
Author(s):  
Saleh Al-Salman ◽  
Ahmad S. Haider
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
English Language ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Formation Processes ◽  
New Words ◽  
Social Networking Websites ◽  
Different Sources

The surge of new words and phrases accompanying the sudden COVID-19 outbreak has created new lexical and sociolinguistic changes that have become part of our lives. The emergence of COVID-19s coinages has remarkably increased to establish a trending base of global neologisms. The present study attempts to investigate the nature of the new English words and expressions that emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. It also identifies the type of word-formation processes that contributed to the emergence of these neologisms in the English language. The researchers compiled a corpus of 208 COVID-19-inspired neologisms from different sources, including social networking websites, search engines, blogs, and news articles. The analysis revealed that word-formation processes were so varied to cover all possible forms of derivation, including affixation, compounding, blending, clipping, acronyms, among others, along with dual word-formation processes, with compounding and blending being the most discrete. The findings showed that the flux of new terms demonstrates the creativity and vitality of the English language to respond to emerging situations in times of crisis. The study recommends that further research be carried out on the new terms that have been transferred to other languages as loanwords, loan-translations and loan-blends.

Conquer and Score: A Word Formation Game for Language Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Anealka Aziz Hussin ◽  
Tuan Sarifah Aini Syed Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
English Language ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Language Games ◽  
Safe Environment ◽  
Learning Path ◽  
Derivational Morphemes ◽  
And Linguistics ◽  
Formation Game

Engaging students in language activities can sometimes be challenging for language educators. One of the ways to engage students in language activities is through language games. Language games can motivate students to communicate, strengthens their ability to comprehend the language and enhance their problem-solving and cognitive skills. Language games also have a vast potential to increase engagement of the students, thus lead to the creation of the Conquer & Score: The Derivational Island. It is a word formation enrichment game catering to students learning lexicology and linguistics. The topic was chosen based on the result of an online quiz on the types of morphemes. The game focuses on the derivational morphemes used to form the English language words. The game requires knowledge of morphology as well as basic lexical analysis skills. The game provides educators a fun and engaging reinforcement activity for the students. Gamification elements used in the game such as rewards, flexible learning path and progress indicator offer a safe environment for competition, which can motivate students to outdo each other to win the game. This paper also highlights some important aspects of games in learning.

Measuring second language proficiency with EEG synchronization: how functional cortical networks and hemispheric involvement differ as a function of proficiency level in second language speakers

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Reiterer ◽  
Ernesto Pereda ◽  
Joydeep Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Second Language Processing ◽  
Language Students

This article examines the question of whether university-based high-level foreign language and linguistic training can influence brain activation and whether different L2 proficiency groups have different brain activation in terms of lateralization and hemispheric involvement. The traditional and prevailing theory of hemispheric involvement in bilingual language processing states that bilingual and second language processing is always at least in some form connected to the right hemisphere (RH), when compared to monolingual first language processing, the classical left-hemispheric language-processing domain. A widely held specification of this traditional theory claims that especially bilinguals or second language learners in their initial phases and/or bilinguals with poor fluency and less experience rely more on RH areas when processing their L2. We investigated this neurolinguistic hypothesis with differently proficient Austrian learners of English as a second language. Two groups of L2 speakers (all Austrian German native speakers), differing in their L2 (English) language performance, were recorded on electroencephalography (EEG) during the processing of spoken English language. A short comprehension interview followed each task. The `high proficiency group' consisted of English language students who were about to complete their master's degree for English language and linguistics, while the `low proficiency group' was composed of non-language students who had only school level performance and less training in English. The age of onset of L2 learning was kept constant: 9 years for both groups. To look for cooperative network activity in the brain, EEG coherence and synchronization measures were analysed for a high EEG frequency range (gamma band). Results showed the most significant group differences in synchronization patterns within the lower gamma frequency range, with more RH involvement (extensive right-hemisphere networks) for the low proficiency group, especially when processing their L2. The results can be interpreted in favour of RH theories of second language processing since, once again, we found evidence of more RH involvement in (late) second language learners with less experience and less training in the L2. The study shows that second language training (and resulting proficiency) and/or differences in ability or state of linguistic alertness can be made visible by brain imaging using newly developed EEG-synchronization techniques as a measure.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATING EXPERIENCED AND NOVICE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS` PERCEPTIONS of MOST USEFUL VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES (VLS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-295
Author(s):  
Elnaz Zariholhosseini ◽  
Ehsan Namaziandost ◽  
Mehdi Nasri
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
New Words ◽  
Novice Learners ◽  
Vocabulary Learning Strategies ◽  
Personal Use

Purpose of the study: This article report’s findings from a study on the differences and similarities between experienced and novice English language learners with regards to their personal use of VLS. Methodology: Closed questionnaire and semi-structure interviews were applied to collect the data. The questionnaire was distributed among 60 (30 experienced learners and 30 novice learners). In addition, 20 learners (10 experienced learners and 10 novice learners) were asked to answer the questions in the interview. Therefore, descriptive statistics, U Mann Whitney test, and independent-sample t-test were run to compare and analyzed the data. Main Findings: The finding showed that there were significant differences between experienced and novice learners’ thoughts towards vocabulary learning strategies and experienced learners used vocabulary learning strategies while learning new words in English language learning. Applications of this study: If the learners are taught how to use each strategy correctly, their understanding of the language can naturally be improved. Moreover, VLS is beneficial throughout the process of vocabulary learning which makes learners more independent and allows teachers to focus on other things as well. Novelty/Originality of this study: To the best of researchers’ knowledge, no study has been done on investigating Iranian experienced and novice English language learners` perceptions towards most useful vocabulary learning strategies (VLS).

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Armenian and English Syndetic Analytical Word-Formation Structures with Noun Component

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2 (17)) ◽  
pp. 19-28
Author(s):  
Sirarpi Karapetyan
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Word Order ◽  
English Language ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
New Words

The syndetic or conjunctional analytical word-formation structures with noun component are very productive in the Armenian and English languages from the point of view of forming new words. The paper is devoted to the comparison and contrast of the structural, grammatical and semantic peculiarities of the syndetic (conjunctional) analytical word-formation structures in Armenian and English. In Armenian they are mainly formed with the help of the conjunction “ու”, rarely with the conjunction “և”. In English these units are generally formed with the help of the conjunction “and” and belong to the type of the so-called phrase compounds. Besides the conjunctional compounds, phrasal compounds also include the so called syntactic compounds which resemble segments of speech corresponding to the syntactic and word order rules of the English language, e.g. Jack-of-all-trades “a person who can do many different kinds of work”, lily-of the-valley “a European plant of the lily family”; this type does not have its typological equivalent in Armenian. The examples of syndetic analytical structures provided in this paper are mainly taken from English and Armenian dictionaries.

The Effect of Teachers’ Use of Reinforcement on Learners’ Performance in English Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-129
Author(s):  
Ndegwa Grace Konyu; Dr. Lucy Wathika; Dr Josephine Khaemba
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Verbatim Transcript

The intention of the study was to establish the effect of teachers’ use of reinforcement on learners’ performance in English language. It was done in selected secondary schools in Nakuru town and used descriptive research design. The study was guided by Gardner and Lambert’s Socio-Educational model of second language acquisition. Stratified random sampling was employed in selecting four schools while simple random sampling was used to choose one stream in form two, three and four in each school for observation. It resulted in eight observational schedules. The study sample of 60 students in form 2-4 and 8 teachers of English was purposively selected for interviews. A total number of 353 learners were observed. The study used interviews, audio recording and Structured Observational Schedules for data collection. The data was presented in form of tables, figures and verbatim transcript excerpts used for exemplification and illustration in a qualitative explication. The findings of the study revealed that second language learners’ performance in English is greatly influenced by teachers’ use of reinforcement. Moreover, it proved that teachers of English give unguarded praises, negative statements and criticisms to English second language learners. This study is a vital contribution to the field of Second Language Acquisition theory and practice with regard to offering information and insight into reinforcement, motivation and attitude in practical language acquisition and learning in the classroom situation. These findings are useful in the improvement of second language learners’ performance in English. Teachers of English will also acquaint themselves with effective use of positive verbal reinforcement which works as a motivational force on learners’ acquisition and use of the English language.

Digital media users and Facebook hashtags' misinterpretations

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1183-1198
Author(s):  
Umbreen Tariq ◽  
Summaira Sarfraz ◽  
Ali Abbas
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Intended Meaning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Major Factors

PurposeThis paper examines reasons of pragmatic functions' misinterpretation of three types of Facebook hashtags: long, short and multiple mixed hashtags.Design/methodology/approachFocus group interviews of 15 English language learners, who are also active users of Facebook and hashtags, are conducted. Thematic analysis is performed through the software Nvivo for arriving at reliable findings.FindingsThe findings show that unknown vocabulary in contents and lowercasing in long and short hashtags are major factors that cause misinterpretation. Also, the symbol of underscore and appropriate usage of upper and lowercasing of alphabets should be adopted in hashtag writing for the improvement in communication and successful conveyance of the intended meaning.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the online hashtag writing style by finding reasons for the misinterpretations of different types of hashtags. Hashtags have been developed for adequate communication (Livingstone, 2012), but in Pakistan, hashtags are practiced as a “fashionable” trend and thus result in misinterpretation and inadequate communication among readers even of the same background (Tariq and Sarfraz, 2018). Moreover, this study focuses on the trend of hashtagging that is common among university students and particularly second-language learners because they are active users of Facebook and adopt the latest trends quickly.

The influence of first language polysemy and first language and second language lexical frequencies on second language learners’ use of false cognates

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 530-541
Author(s):  
Carl Cañizares-Álvarez ◽  
Virginia C Mueller Gathercole
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
First Language ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Complex Interaction ◽  
Word Choice ◽  
Relative Transparency ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
L1 English

Aims and objectives: This study examines second language (L2) bilinguals’ use of words that have the same or similar forms in their two languages but whose meaning extensions differ – that is, false cognates. We examine the conditions under which L2 speakers inappropriately use false cognates in the L2. How do frequency of the relevant words in each language and polysemy of the word in the first language (L1) affect L2 learners’ use of such words? Design: Fifty Spanish L1–English L2 adults translated 80 words in context from Spanish (S) to English (E). The words involved polysemous Spanish words that had several translations in English, one of which was a cognate form. Words were strictly balanced for L1 polysemy (high versus low), frequency of the S word, frequency of the E cognate form, and frequency of the E non-cognate translation. The words were presented in unambiguous contextual frames that pushed for the non-cognate translation in English. Data and analysis: Analyses of variance were used to analyze participants’ translations relative to the variables of Spanish polysemy and the frequencies of the forms in question. Findings: The findings show that the relative transparency or opacity of the mapping between the L1 and L2 influences word choice: the use of a false cognate instead of a competing correct lexical item depends on the complex interaction of L1 polysemy and the lexical frequencies of the L1 and L2 forms in the bilingual’s two languages. Originality: This study strictly controls for several factors crucial to L2 users’ choice of a word in the L2: polysemy in the L1, frequency of the L1 word, and frequencies of the L2 words involved. Significance: When these variables are viewed together, the data reveal a complex interaction showing factors that contribute to the transparency or opacity of the L1–L2 lexical semantic linkages.

scholarly journals A Corpus-based Comparative Study of Learn and Acquire

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Bei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Linguistic Feature ◽  
Natural Discourse ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
National Corpus

<p>As an important yet intricate linguistic feature in English language, synonymy poses a great challenge for second language learners. Using the 100 million-word British National Corpus (BNC) as data and the software Sketch Engine (SkE) as an analyzing tool, this article compares the usage of <em>learn</em> and <em>acquire </em>used in natural discourse by conducting the analysis of concordance, collocation, word sketches and sketch difference. The results show that different functions of SkE can make different contributions to the discrimination of <em>learn</em> and <em>acquire</em>. Pedagogical implications are discussed when the results are introduced into the classroom.</p>

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