Worksheet 6

1. According to Roberts, which two territories are ‘linguistically notorious’?


2. Which English speaking Caribbean country has fewest Creole features?


3. When a Jamaican Creole speaker says, ‘All the ceiling she paint’ all is used to mean ________________



4. The feature ‘wi’ used after sentences as a tag can be attributed to influence from which language?



5. According to Roberts which territories use the ‘wi’ tag?


6. Which country does not use ‘does’ to indicate habitual?



7. What linguistic difficulty does this traditional joke in Jamaica illustrate? The indignant schoolmaster reprimanding his pupil with, ‘hemphasise your haiches, you hignorant hass’.



8. A feature prominent in Barbadian speech is strong retroflexion…what does this mean? Give an example.



9. When a Grenadian or Trinidadian uses ‘it have’ as in the following example: “It have a man in town….” What does ‘it have’ mean?



10. To signal future St Kitts speech has both ‘gon’ and ‘an’ . What do the following express

(a) He an go town fi you

(b) A gon do om soon.



11. Translate the following English Creole statements to standard


Di two pikni dem a fight.
Dis a fi mi buk.
Tantie bex causen say mi tan too long a maakit.
Im tek tik lik di gyrl inna she head.

12. Write down three different ways in which non standard speakers of English in the Caribbean might say, “The boys went to a party.”

Worksheet 5

Look at the poem:

Dis ting called language is real funny
We does use it for all kinda ting you see
Sometimes it fancy and sometimes it free
And in did Caribbean is a real potpourri

When it fancy we it formal and real ‘la de da’
When it free we does call it vernacular
Each country down here have it own language flavour
But they each have a standard that they must master.


1. The author refers to using language for “all kinda ting” (line 2). State THREE different purposes of language.

2. Suggest TWO situations when one might use what the author refers to as “fancy” language (line 5).

3. Suggest TWO situations when one might use what the author refers to as “free” language (line 6).

4. Americans and British speakers may be said to be using different dialects of the same language.
(a) What are some noticeable differences between them?
(b) In this context explain what is referred to as ‘accent’.

5. Identify FOUR instances where Creole influenced vernacular is used in the poem.

6. Suggest one reason for the demise of the Garifuna language in St Vincent.

7. Identify ways in which the same language used by different speakers may vary.

8. What are the possible causes for the development of varieties of any language?

9. Write a short definition for the linguistic term ‘register’.

10. Explain the process by which one dialect emerges as the ‘Standard’.

EXTRA:

For each of the examples that follow, explain why these speakers of the same language did not seem [ :0)] to understand the meaning that was being transferred:

....................

YOU ARE BACK AGAIN?

The Judge said to the defendant, "I thought I told you I never wanted to see you in here again."
"Your Honor," the criminal said, "that's what I tried to tell the police, but they wouldn't listen."
………………

CONTACTS

A policeman stops a lady and asks for her license. He says "Lady, it says here that you should be wearing glasses."
The woman answered "Well, I have contacts."
The policeman replied "I don't care who you know! You're getting a ticket!"

Worksheet 4 - Language

Worksheet 4a True or False?

1. Language is the human ability to use certain forms for thinking, speaking, enjoyment and aesthetic pleasure.
2. Language is common to all living things.
3. A language is used by a particular community.
4. Language is acquired at birth.
5. The rules for one language always apply to another.
6. An infant will speak as a native tongue whatever language it is exposed to during the first few weeks of life.
7. The stages of acquisition of language in Spanish children and Chinese children are the same.
8. English is a prestigious language because it is inherently superior to other languages.
9. Language is centered in the brain.
10. Intelligence is measurable independent of language and culture.


Worksheet 4b.

a). What is language?

b). What are the main reasons for this complexity?

c). Would you agree that the Europeans all spoke the same dialects of their language?

d). What evidence does the passage provide to support your answer to (c) above?

e). From which continent do the majority of official languages of the Caribbean come?

f). What languages did the Europeans encounter when they came to the Caribbean region?

g) Why does the writer of the passage in ‘Language Variety’ refer to the Caribbean as a complex linguistic area?

h). Identify the official language in all territories of the Caribbean.

i). Identify the popular languages of St Lucia, Jamaica, Bonaire, Haiti and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

j). Give five examples of the linguistic features of Creole languages.


Reading
Sections 1 and 2 of Writing in English (Chapters 1 - 7)
Chapters 1 and 2 of West Indians and their Languages
CAPE Study Guides 8, 9 and 10

Worksheet 3 - Verbal Communication

WORKSHEET 3

1. In your own words, define the following terms:
(a) writing
(b) reading
(c) speaking
(d) listening

2. Which of the four verbal communication skills are needed for each of the following scenarios? Say how the skills are used in each scenario.

(a) A an oral exam
(b) A listening comprehension exercise
(c) Reading a Bible passage in church
(d) Participating in an online chat room discussion
(e) Helping your uncle construct a table that came in a pre-packaged box

3. List and explain each of the four contexts for listening.

4. Based on your reading, which is more important: reading and writing or speaking and listening?

Worksheet 2 - Non-verbal and verbal communication

WORKSHEET 2

1. For each of the communication acts below, state which type of verbal or non-verbal communication is being displayed, and what message is being communicated:
(a) Michael leans in close to his girlfriend when her ex-boyfriend walks by.
(b) Dr. Foster arrives one hour late to his appointment with a housewife.
(c) Kelly wears a green suit to work the day before elections.
(d) Jason carries around a gold-plated lighter on his key ring.
(e) Kiesha slumps at her desk during a long lecture.
(f) Sally-Ann sends a typed e-card to her friend, Felicia on her birthday.
(g) Jermaine shouts at his sister to get her attention.
(h) Jenny maintains eye contact with her grandmother when admitting that she doesn’t smoke.
(i) The beauty pageant contestant stuttered when answering her question.
(j) The Queen of England waved at her subjects.

2. Kevin has an important interview today; he is meeting with a prospective employer, British American Insurance.
(a) How should Kevin dress?
(b) What type of language should Kevin use?
(c) What dictates Kevin’s speech and communicative behaviours?

3. Match the word to the definition:
Word
a. Chronemics
b.Artifacts
c.Movement
d. Proxemics
e. The senses
f. Vocalics

Definition
i.The use of space to convey messages.
ii.The use of gestures, eye contact, posture and facial expressions to convey messages.
iii. The use of time to transmit information.
iv. Manipulating voice to convey messages.
v. Using objects to communicate.
vi. Using sight, sound, touch, smell and taste to transmit information.

4. Give three examples from your own life that illustrate the ways in which communicative behaviours may enhance verbal communication. Remember to state HOW the non-verbal enhances the verbal.

5. Give an original example of each of the six functions of non-verbal communication.

Worksheet 1 - the Communication Process

WORKSHEET 1

Question 1
Read the following scenario and respond to the questions that follow:

Sandra’s youth group has asked her to give them a presentation on her recent stint as a volunteer worker on the children’s ward of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown. She will make the presentation this Friday evening at the group’s weekly meeting, which takes place in a concrete hut near the Cane End playing field in Marriaqua. The playing field is being used on this date by the Emmanuel High School Mesopotamia, for their annual fair and dance.

(a) What factors must Sandra consider when coming up with her presentation?
(b) Draw a graphic representation of Sandra’s communication process.

Question 2
Using T to represent true and F to represent false, respond to the following statements:
(a) The receiver of a message is responsible for its conceptualisation. __
(b) The communication process is incomplete unless feedback is given to the sender. __
(c) The first major advance in mass communication was the invention of Gutenberg’s press. _
(d) Human beings are the only animals that communicate. __
(e) Communication apprehension refers to any instance of nervousness or shyness while communicating. __
(f) Communication is inevitable. __
(g) Feedback can also be called interference or noise. __
(h) Audio/visual aids facilitate communication. __
(i) When delivering a presentation it is always best to be casual. __
(j) Internal noise refers to physical sounds that may distract an audience. __

Question 3
What are the three most important aspects of the communication process?
Why are these three things so important?

Question 4
Based on your reading, list five settings where communication regularly takes place, and briefly explain each setting.

Question 5
Using examples, explain how improving your communication skills will benefit your academic life.

The following reading will assist you to ansewer.

Zeuschner, Raymond. Communicating Today, Pearson Education, Inc., 2003. Chapters 1 & 2.

Various authors, CAPE Self Study and Distance Learning for Communication Studies, CAPE 2004. Study guides 1 & 2