Semantics

Semantics - Semantic Fields and Collocations

The study of semantics is all about base meaning. When examining the semantics of a particular lexeme, we would be interested in its meaning.

Semantic field

When examining a text, you may notice that a number of words with a common link are used.
If, for example, you look at Fifth Harmony’s song ‘Work From Home’, you will notice words like 'promotion', 'night shift' and 'fired' all from what we call the semantic field of work.
If this was a text in your exam, you might examine the relationship between work and what the song’s message is.

Collocates

Another way words can be linked is through common association.
- For example, salt and pepper, Ant and Dec and bread and butter.
Words that go together like this are called collocates.
Collocates don’t necessarily have to be known before but can be labelled following repeated use.
- For example, Donald Trump repeatedly referred to Hilary Clinton as 'crooked Hilary' during the 2016 election.

Patterns in texts

Use of collocates in texts are worth exploring, particularly if a collocate is used more than once in a text.
If it does start to crop up again and again, we call this a pattern.
The examiner can reward you highly in AO1 for the recognition of patterns.

Semantics - Hypernyms, Hyponyms and More

The study of semantics is all about base meaning. When examining the semantics of a particular lexeme, we would be interested in its meaning.

Hypernyms and hyponyms

You may choose to look at whether a general or specific word is used in a text.
- For example, whether the noun ‘dog’ is used or whether ‘poodle’ is used.
We call the category of word (in this case ‘dog’) a hypernym, and then we call all of its words hyponyms.

Euphemism

We often see interesting ways of expressing ideas in language use.
- For example, newspapers will use a phrase like ‘friendly fire’ to describe the death of soldier caused by someone on the same side.
When text producers hide or soften the truth, we call this a euphemism.
You tend to find lots of euphemistic language within newspaper reports.

Dysphemism

Dysphemisms offer a much more unpleasant version of a euphemism, for example labelling a mentally ill person as a ‘loony’.
Picking up on a euphemistic or dysphemistic phrase and explaining why it has been used can help you to score highly with AO3.

1Language Levels

1.1Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives

1.2Lexis

1.2.1Introduction

1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns

1.2.3Collective Nouns

1.2.4Adjectives

1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs

1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs

1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs

1.2.8Mood of Verbs

1.2.9Adverbs

1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns

1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns

1.2.12Determiners

1.2.13Conjunctions

1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features

1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis

1.3Grammar

1.3.1Morphology

1.3.2Clauses

1.3.3Phrases

1.3.4Present Tense

1.3.5Past Tense

1.3.6Future Tense

1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar

1.4Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics

1.4.2Pragmatics

1.5Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure

1.5.2Graphology & Orthography

1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.

2Language, The Individual & Society

2.1Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam

2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation

2.1.3Writing About Phonemes

2.1.4Phonological Simplification

2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition

2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language

2.1.7Lexical Development

2.1.8Stages of Development

2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development

2.2Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism

2.2.2Interactionism

2.2.3Challenging Interactionism

2.2.4Nativism

2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer

2.2.6Cognitivism

2.2.7Social Constructionism

2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition

2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories

2.3Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction

2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word

2.3.3Debates in Reading

2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition

2.3.5Other Reading Theories

2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading

2.4Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography

2.4.2Kroll's Theory

2.4.3Barclay's Theory

2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy

2.4.5Other Writing Theories

2.4.6The Exam

2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing

3Language Diversity & Change

3.1The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender

3.1.2Dominance Theory

3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West

3.1.4Deficit Theory

3.1.5Difference Model

3.1.6Difference Model - Men

3.1.7Diversity Model

3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language

3.2Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups

3.2.2Social Class

3.2.3Social Class 2

3.2.4Age

3.2.5Age - Teen Speak

3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study

3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study

3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups

3.3Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups

3.3.2Jargon

3.3.3Conversations

3.3.4Hierarchy & Power

3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups

3.4Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect

3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects

3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment

3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie

3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations

3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London

3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects

3.5Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change

3.5.2Modelling Change

3.5.3Modelling Change 2

3.5.4Lexical Change

3.5.5Semantic Change

3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change

3.6History of English

3.6.1Old English

3.6.2Old English 2

3.6.3Middle English

3.6.4Middle English 2

3.6.5Early Modern English

3.6.6Late Modern English

3.6.7Present Day English

3.6.8Global English

3.6.9American English

3.6.10Modelling Global English

3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

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