Language and Meaning — Flashcards & Quiz

Q1: How is language used as a tool of power and persuasion?

Language and power are interconnected: those who control language often control meaning. Powerful language features include: euphemism (softening harsh realities), jargon (excluding non-experts), nominalisation (removing human agency), passive voice (obscuring responsibility), inclusive/exclusive pronouns and presupposition (embedding assumptions as fact).

Q2: How and why does the English language change over time?

English changes through: new word creation (neologisms: "blog," "selfie"), borrowing from other languages (loanwords: "tsunami," "cafe"), semantic shift (words gaining new meanings: "cool"), technology-driven change (texting abbreviations, emoji), and social change (inclusive language replacing gendered terms). Change is driven by social, technological, cultural and contact factors.

Q3: How does language reflect and construct social identity?

Language both reflects and actively constructs identity. The way people speak (accent, dialect, vocabulary, register) signals their social group, education level, regional origin and cultural background. Code-switching — shifting between language varieties in different contexts — demonstrates how individuals navigate multiple identities. Language can include or exclude, empower or marginalise.

Q4: What is metalanguage and why is it important in English study?

Metalanguage is language used to describe and analyse language itself. It includes grammatical terminology (noun, verb, clause, syntax), literary terms (metaphor, irony, motif), rhetorical terms (ethos, pathos, logos) and discourse terms (register, cohesion, modality). Using precise metalanguage allows you to discuss how texts work with accuracy and sophistication.

Q1: Euphemism is a language strategy that intensifies the emotional impact of harsh realities.

Answer: FALSE

Euphemism softens or disguises harsh realities by replacing direct language with milder alternatives (e.g. "passed away" for "died," "downsizing" for "mass layoffs"). It reduces, rather than intensifies, emotional impact.

Q2: The meanings of English words have remained stable and unchanged since the Middle Ages.

Answer: FALSE

English words undergo constant semantic shift. The word "nice" meant "foolish" in Middle English, "awful" once meant "worthy of awe," and "silly" originally meant "blessed." Language change is continuous and inevitable.

Q3: Code-switching refers to the ability to shift between language varieties in different social contexts.

Answer: TRUE

Code-switching is the practice of alternating between languages, dialects or registers depending on the social context. It demonstrates linguistic competence and the ability to navigate multiple social identities and communication situations.