UNIT 3
THE STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE
 Why Is The Structure of Language Important?
The Phonemes of English
Learning Language Structure Through the
History of English
Table Talk
 Turn to table partners and discuss:
 How do the findings of reading research discussed in these
units match what you were taught about reading in your
teacher training program? What are the similarities?
Differences?
 What are some of the programs for struggling readers
currently being used? How is it decided who receives this
instruction?
 Identify a student you may have taught that had a double
deficit. What were some of the characteristics you noticed
about that student?
Language Structure Is Important Because…
“Teaching reading is a job for an expert.
Contrary to the popular theory that
learning to read is natural and easy,
learning to read is a complex linguistic
achievement…
Moats, 1999, p. 10
Understanding Language Structure
Enables Teachers To Answer:
 What sounds will children confuse with /p/ and how can
I help?
 Why do common sight words, such as “was,” “what,”
and “said,” have irregular spellings?
 How many meaningful parts (morphemes) are there in
the word contracted?
 Why is English spelling perceived as “crazy?”
Language Structure Topics Include
Build A Language Foundation
PHONETICS
PHONOLOGY
Speech sounds-how produced
How sounds go together in words
MORPHOLOGY
SEMANTICS
SYNTAX
PARAGRAPH AND
TEXT STRUCTURE
Meaningful word parts: in-flat(e)-ed
Meanings of words, phrases, idioms
How words are ordered in sentences
Organization of sentences in text
Build A Language Foundation
ORAL LANGUAGE
WRITTEN LANGUAGE
PHONETICS
PHONOLOGY
MORPHOLOGY
How our writing represents
phonology, morphology, and
SEMANTICS
SYNTAX
PARAGRAPH AND
TEXT STRUCTURE
semantics
Build A Language Foundation
ORAL LANGUAGE
WRITTEN LANGUAGE
PHONETICS
PHONOLOGY
MORPHOLOGY
SEMANTICS
SYNTAX
PARAGRAPH AND
TEXT STRUCTURE
PHONICS- Teaching the
connections between sounds
and spelling.
Phonetics
 PHONETICS: The study of linguistic speech sounds
and how they are produced and perceived.
 Make the sound represented by “f” and make the sound
continue for a few seconds.
 What parts of your mouth are involved?
1. tongue & roof of mouth
2. lower lip and upper teeth
3. lower teeth and tongue
Phonology
 PHONOLOGY: The rule system within a language by
which phonemes are sequenced and uttered to make
words.
 Which of these pairs of sounds could be adjacent in a
single syllable?
1. /g/ /f/
2. /s/ /w/
3. /s/ /j/
Phonology: A Related Term
 PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSING: The use of
information about speech sounds which can include:




Pronouncing words
Remembering names
Rhyming, identifying syllables
Segmenting and blending sounds
 How many syllables in delectable?
 What real word rhymes with…
 change …
table …
Phonological
Processing
Verbal
Short-term
Memory
Phonological
Awareness
Rapid serial
naming
Word
Awareness
Syllable
Awareness
Phonemic
Awareness
Sensitivity
to rhyme
Matching by
alliteration and
rhyme
Partial phoneme
segmentation
Articulation
speed
Full phoneme
segmentation
Phoneme
manipulation
Morphology
 MORPHOLOGY: The study of meaningful units of
language [morphemes] and how they are combined in
words.
 Determine how many morphemes in each word.
teachers
teach-er-s
reheating
re-heat-ing
illegal
il-legal
butter
butter
Morphology In Action
Use the morphemes to identify the meaning of the following:
1. Astro/y/opsy/ed ________________________
Starry-eyed
2. Hemi/mort ____________________
Half-dead
3. Bi/chron/er ______________________
Two-timer
4. Platy/rupt/ed _________________
Flat-broke
5. Nesia/the/s ______________________
Islands of the gods
6. Vis/ocul/ocul ____________________
See eye to eye
7. Bene/vive ___________________________
The good life
8. I am an invertebrate but people tell me that I am an
echinoderm. I look like an astro. Who am I?
9. My cephalo is attached to my octo pods. Who am I?
Orthography
 Orthography: A writing system.
 What part of each of these words stands for the sound of
long e?
tree speak
chief be
baby
receive
these
 Which orthographic rule is used in adding each of the
suffixes below?
cups
pennies
tripped
starring
baking
Semantics
 SEMANTICS: The study of word and phrase meanings
 To what category do these words belong?
bicycle
skim
bus
scan
taxi
automobile scooter
peruse
review
study
 Give an antonym for each word:
far
bad
few
sparse elaborate
idealist
Semantics: What Do These Idioms
Mean To You?
flew the coop
empty nest
my goose is cooked
swan song
chicken-hearted
feathered his nest
bird in the hand
hen-pecked
Semantics
Work with the group at your table. See how many
animal idioms your group can come up with in three
minutes. Share them.
Syntax
 SYNTAX: The rule system governing sentence
formation; the study of sentence structure.
 Arrange these words into a coherent sentence and write
it down.
little mine
red
is
sports
car
cute the
 Would an English speaker say these words in
any of these orders?
“the red cute little sports car”
“the sports little red cute car”
Syntax
 How does word order affect the meaning?
Who’s The Boss?
Jan is the boss of Martin.
Martin is the boss of Jan.
The boss of Jan is Martin.
Is Jan the boss of Martin?
Language Topics For Teachers
 English isn’t crazy, but it is complex. And so we study…
The Structure of Language
Phonology
Morphology
Orthography
Semantics
Syntax
Analyze The Word “Instruction”
PHONOLOGY
MORPHOLOGY
ORTHOGRAPHY
SEMANTICS
# of sounds
# syllables
10
3
Base word/root
prefix
suffix(es)
struct-
in -
- tion
Base word
prefix
suffix
struct
(letters “ct”
represent /kt/)
Spelling does not
change
Examples: Definition/ part
of speech/synonym/antonym/
figurative expression
tion
in-, in, into, within
struct - to build
UNIT 3
THE STRUCTURE OF
LANGUAGE
 Why Is The Structure of Language Important?
The Phonemes of English
Learning Language Structure Through the
History of English
What Is A Phoneme?
 Definition: the smallest unit of sound that makes a
difference in meaning (or that changes one word into
another word).
/k/
/h/
/h/
/h/
/a/
/a/
/o/
/o/
/t/
/t/
/t/
/p/
 Phonemes should not be confused with letters.
Phonemes are the sounds of speech. Letters may
represent phonemes in written language.
What Is A Consonant Phoneme?
 A consonant phoneme is a speech sound that is formed
by fully or partially obstructing flow of the air stream.
Consonants are often described as closed sounds.
The Consonant Phonemes
Phonic Symbol
Example
Phonic Symbol
Example
/b/
bat
/n/
nut
/d/
dog
/p/
pan
/f/
fun
/r/
rat
/g/
/h/
/j/
/k/
/l/
/m/
/th/
Confusing
Graphemes
game
/s/
hat
Grapheme
jug, gym
kite,
cat
(letter)
leaf
x
man
qu
thumb
snake, city
/t/
Phonemes
/w/ (sound)
/y/
/k/+/s/
/z/
/k/+/w/
/sh/
top
/v/
van
wind
yellow
zebra, dogs
ship
/th/
this
/wh/
whisper
/ch/
chin
/ng/
king
/zh/
measure
Consonant Phoneme Classification
 Consonants can be classified as stops or continuants (air
stream)
 Consonants can be classified by where they are made in
the mouth (place of articulation)
 Teachers need to be aware of both air stream and place
of articulation when teaching letter-sound associations
and monitoring oral reading.
How Do We Make Speech Sounds?
Nasal Cavity
Alveolar Ridge
Lip
Teeth
Front of Tongue
Lip
Hard Palate
Soft Palate
Center of Tongue
Back of Tongue
Floor Of Mouth
Vocal Cords
Original Image From: www.cancerbacup.org.uk/info/ refer/fact-head.htm (April
2004)
Classifying Sounds:
Place Of Articulation
 Place the phonemes on the chart: /b/ /t/ /g/
Place of
The
Phoneme
Chart
Lips
/b/
Lips/
Teeth
Tongue
Between
Teeth
Articulation
Tongue
Just
Behind
Teeth
/t/
Roof
Of
Mouth
Back
Of
Mouth
/g/
Throat
Classifying Sounds:
Place Of Articulation
 With a partner, pronounce the phonemes listed and
determine the parts of the mouth that are used to make
the sound.
 Write the phonic symbol in the appropriate box on the
“Place of Articulation” table. More than one symbol
may be placed in a box.
/f/ /th/ /s/
Classifying Sounds:
Place Of Articulation
 Check your work with a partner.
Place of
The
Phoneme
Chart
Articulation
Lips
Lips/
Teeth
Tongue
Between
Teeth
Tongue
Just
Behind
Teeth
/b/
/f/
/th/
/t/
/s/
Roof
Of
Mouth
Back
Of
Mouth
/g/
Throat
Classifying Sounds By Air Stream (Manner
of Articulation): Stops And Continuants
 Consonants can also be classified based on air stream
 Continuants are sounds such as /f/ and /z/ that can be
stretched out or pronounced in a sustained manner
 /ffffffffffffff/
/zzzzzzzzzz/
 Stops cannot be sustained in this way as they are
interruptions of the air stream.

/b/
/k/
 Continuants can be fricatives, nasals, liquids or glides.
Classifying Sounds By Airstreams:
Using Stops And Continuants
 Continuant consonants should be used in the initial
position when first teaching students to blend sounds
into words.
 The initial sound /m/ “mmmmaaaap” is easier to blend then
the initial sound /t/ “taaaap”
Classifying Sounds:
Organize Consonants By Air Stream
The
Phoneme
Chart
Place of
Lips
Lips/
Teeth
Articulation
Tongue Tongue
Just
Between
Behind
Teeth
Teeth
Roof
Of
Mouth
Back
Of
Mouth
Manner of Articulation
a consonant phoneme that stops the stream of air
Stop
Fricative
Affricate
/b/
/b/
a consonant phoneme made with a continuing hiss or
friction of air between two parts
/s/of the mouth
a consonant phoneme made with a stop followed by
/j/
a fricative
Throat
Classifying Sounds Activity
Stops, Continuants, Combinations
Place these phonemes on the chart: /t/ /g/ /th/ /f/ /sh/
Place of
Lips
Stop
/b/
Manner of Articulation
The
Phoneme
Chart
Fricative
Affricate
Lips/
Teeth
Articulation
Tongue Tongue
Just
Between
Behind
Teeth
Teeth
Roof
Of
Mouth
/t/
/f/
/th/
/s/
Back
Of
Mouth
/g/
/sh/
/j/
Throat
Classifying Sounds:
Voiced And Unvoiced Sounds
 Make the sound /z/ and hold it /zzzzzzzzz/.
 Touch your Adam’s apple while make the sound. Do
you feel vibrations?
 Now hold the /fffffffff/ sound and check your Adam’s
apple. What is the difference?
 With /z/, the vocal chords are sounding hence the
vibration. /z/ is a voiced or noisy phoneme.
 With /f/ the vocal cords are still. /f/ is an unvoiced or
quiet phoneme.
Classifying Sounds:
Voiced And Unvoiced Sounds
 Now make the /b/ sound several times while cupping
your hands over your ears.
 Do the same with the /t/ sound. Which one is louder?
 /b/ is much louder because it is voiced (noisy) and /t/ is
unvoiced (quiet).
Classifying Sounds:
“Discovering The Sisters” Activity
Quiet
Sister
Noisy
Sister
Classifying Sounds:
Discovering The Sisters Activity
Place the phonemes on the chart: /p/ /k/ /v/ /th/ /d/ /z/ /ch/
Place of
Lips
Stop
/p/
/b/
Manner of Articulation
The
Phoneme
Chart
Fricative
Affricate
Lips/
Teeth
Articulation
Tongue Tongue
Just
Between
Behind
Teeth
Teeth
Roof
Of
Mouth
/t/
/d/
/f/
/v/
/th/
/th/
/s/
/z/
Back
Of
Mouth
/k/
/g/
/sh/
/zh/
/ch/
/j/
Throat
Discovering The Sisters: /t/ and /d/
Voiced And Unvoiced Sounds:
Why Do You Need To Know?
 The voiced and unvoiced pairs, such as /b/ and /p/, are
frequently confused in reading.
 Students are likely to confuse voiced and unvoiced
sounds in spelling.
 When teaching phonemes or letter-sounds to students,
the voiced stops (/b/, /d/, /g/) are the hardest to
pronounce without putting an “uh” sound after the
consonant sound.
 Knowing how sounds are articulated also helps in
showing students how to leave the “uh” off of other
phonemes as well.
Discovering The Nasals
Place of
Lips
Manner of
Articulation
Nasal
Lips/
Teeth
Tongue
Between
Teeth
Articulation
Tongue
Just
Behind
Teeth
Roof
Of
Mouth
Back
Of
Mouth
Throat
consonant
sound with the air stream directed through
/m/
the nose
 Make the /m/ sound and hold it /mmmmm/ while you
pinch your nose closed. What happens?
 What parts of your mouth are touching?
Place /m/ on the phoneme chart.
Discovering The Nasals
Place of
Lips
Manner of
Articulation
Nasal
/m/
Lips/
Teeth
Tongue
Between
Teeth
Articulation
Tongue
Just
Behind
Teeth
Roof
Of
Mouth
Back
Of
Mouth
Throat
/n/
 Try the nose pinch method to determine which of these
sounds is nasal: /w/ /n/
 Place the nasal on the chart.
Discovering The Nasals
Place of
Lips
Manner of
Articulation
Nasal
/m/
Lips/
Teeth
Tongue
Between
Teeth
Articulation
Tongue
Just
Behind
Teeth
/n/
Roof
Of
Mouth
Back
Of
Mouth
Throat
/ng/
 The sound at the end of king and other words ending in
“ng” is not a blend of /n/ and /g/.
 /ng/ is a unique nasal sound. It is made at the back of the
mouth. Place /ng/ on the chart.
The Glides And Liquids
The
Phoneme
Chart
Manner of Articulation
Stop
Place of
Lips
Lips/
Teeth
Tongue
Between
Teeth
/p/ /b/
Fricative
Articulation
Tongue
Just
Behind
Teeth
/t/ /d/
/f/ /v/
/th/ /th/
/s/ /z/
Back
Of
Mouth
Throat
/k/ /g/
/sh/ /zh/
/ch/ /j/
Affricate
Nasal
Roof
Of
Mouth
/m/
/n/
/ng/
Glide
a consonant sound that glides immediately into a vowel
Liquid
a consonant sound that obstructs the air stream but does not
cause friction
The Glides And Liquids
The
Phoneme
Chart
Manner of Articulation
Stop
Place of
Lips
Lips/
Teeth
Tongue
Between
Teeth
/p/ /b/
Fricative
Articulation
Tongue
Just
Behind
Teeth
/t/ /d/
/f/ /v/
/th/ /th/
/s/ /z/
/m/
Throat
/k/ /g/
/sh/ /zh/
/n/
/ng/
/y/
Glide
Liquid
Back
Of
Mouth
/ch/ /j/
Affricate
Nasal
Roof
Of
Mouth
/l/
/r/
/wh/ /w/
/h/
Same Sound Or Different?
which
witch
What Is A Vowel?
 A vowel is an open, or unobstructed, speech sound.
 Vowel phonemes should not be confused with vowel
letters (a, e, i, o, u).
 Vowel phonemes include 15 sounds in English that are
variously represented by letters.
What Is A Vowel?
 One vowel phoneme can be represented by different
letters.
 rain, rein, reign
 Different vowel phonemes can be represented by the
same letters.
 seat, deaf, great
 Vowels are sometimes called the glue that holds the
syllable together.
Introducing Vowels Phonemes
LAX VOWELS
(Short Vowels)
TENSE VOWELS
(Long Vowels)
DIPHTHONGS
R-CONTROLLED
/a/ apple
/i/ itch
/e/ Ed
/o/ octopus
/oo/ book
/a/ ape
/i/ ice
/u/ cube
/e/ eat
/o/ oak
/oo/ moon
/oi/
coin
/ou/
out
/er/
mother
/ar/
art
/u/ up
/or/
/aw/ bought
or
 The r-controlled vowels are a subject of disagreement among linguists, but most
instructional programs treat the vowel + r as one sound.
Vowels Phonemes:
Smiles, Opens And Rounds
 Say the vowel sounds /e/ and /oo/.
 Observe your partner and feel your own mouth as you
say these vowels.
 Decide which one should be called a “front, smile” and
which one a “back, rounded vowel”.
front, smile
e
low, open
back, rounded
oo
Vowels Phonemes:
Smiles, Opens, And Rounds Activity 1
 Make each of these sounds with your partner, observe
your partner’s mouth and feel your own.
/oo/ / i /
/u/ /a /
/o/
Vowels Phonemes:
Smiles, Opens, And Rounds Activity 2
 Write each phonic symbol in the column it seems to
belong in.
oo
u
a
front, smile
i
e
o
oo
low, open
back, rounded
a
u
oo
e
o
oo
i
Vowels Phonemes: The Vowel Circle
e
e
Ed
e
eat
eat?
e
back, round
Ed?
front, smile
low, open
Vowels Phonemes: The Vowel Circle
i
e
it
a
at
eat
i
?
it
back, round
e
front, smile
Ed
a
at?
low, open
Vowels Phonemes: The Vowel Circle
e
eat
i
it
a
ate
back, round
e
front, smile
Ed
a
at
i ice
low, open
Vowels Phonemes: The Vowel Circle
e
eat
i
it
a
ate
back, round
e
front, smile
Ed
a
at
i ice
up
odd
u
o
low, open
law
aw
Vowels Phonemes: The Vowel Circle
e
eat
i
a
look
ate
e
front, smile
moon
it
at
i ice
oo
oak o
Ed
a
oo
up
odd
u
o
low, open
law
aw
back, round
Vowels Phonemes:The Vowel Circle
And Schwa
SCHWA
eat
i
a
oo
oo
oak o
Ed
a
moon
look
ate
e
front, smile
Texas
it
e
e
at
i ice odd
law
aw
up
u
o
low, open
back, round
Vowels Phonemes:The Vowel Circle
And Diphthongs
eat
i
it
a
a
moon
look
oo
oo
oak o
Ed
DIPHTHONG
/ou/
/oy/
Texas
ate
e
front, smile
SCHWA
e
e
at
i ice odd
law
aw
up
u
o
How, trout
Boy, coin
low, open
back, round
Vowels Phonemes: The Vowel Circle
And R-Controlled
i
DIPHTHONG
oo
oo
oak o
Ed
a
moon
look
ate
e
front, smile
Texas
it
a
/ou/
/oy/
SCHWA
eat
e
e
at
i ice odd
law
aw
up
u
o
back, round
R-CONTROLLED
/er/
/ar/
/or/
urge
art
or
her
How, trout
Boy, coin
sir
low, open
Counting Phonemes
be
/b/ /e/
2
bet
/b/ /e/ /t/
3
back
/b/ /a/ /k/
3
heat
/h/ /e/ /t/
3
2 be
___
3 bet
___
3 back
___
3 heat
___
2 ice
___
2 sigh
___
2 day
___
3 choose
___
4 quake
___
4 backed
___
7 blasted
___
3 rode
___
3 kin
___
3 king
___
3 rowed
___
3 thick
___
Manipulating Phonemes
 Reverse the sequence of speech sounds in each of these
words, or say them backwards.
 Think of the sounds, not the letters, and write the word
with the conventional spelling e.g. note backwards is
tone; maid backwards is dame.
cheat e. lip _________
pill
funny
a. teach _______
i. enough _______
ice
easy
shack
b. sigh ________
f. easy ________
j. cash _________
stuck g. judge _______
judge k. snitch _______
chintz
c. cuts ________
d. pitch _______
h. speak _______
chip
keeps l. face _________
safe
UNIT 3
THE STRUCTURE OF
LANGUAGE
 Why Is The Structure of Language Important?
 The Phonemes of English
Learning Language Structure Through the
History of English
History Of English Language
 Helps teachers understand the origins of our phonology,
morphology, orthography and semantics.
 Helps teachers understand and explain our spelling
system.
 Provides an appreciation for the variety and expressive
precision of English vocabulary.
 Enhances vocabulary teaching.
 Explains the historical origin of some common errors
seen in invented spelling.
Historical Layers Of English
ENGLISH: A rich and complex recipe with the flavors of
many cultures….
1500 - Present
1100 - 1500
600 - 1100 C.E.
Oldest Layer
 Anglo-Saxon, or Old English, comprises only 1% of all the words
in our dictionary.
 Anglo-Saxon comprises 100% of Dolch words, i.e.
 was, what, there, them, and
 Verbs and nouns with irregular inflections are from this period,
i.e.
 bring-brought, give-gave, take-took, tooth-teeth, child-children, leaf-leaves
600 - 1100 C.E.
Anglo-Saxon Words
 Consider these short words used for basic concepts in
our everyday speech:
 family: mother, father, brother, sister, house
 farming: plow, herd, horse, ox
 body parts: foot, arm, head
600 - 1100 C.E.
1000 Year Old Words
 You can use this information in the class to engage
students.
 Tell students that those sight words are difficult to read and
spell because they are over 1000 years old.
 Tell students that most silent letters used to be pronounced:
 name was “nahm-uh’”
 night was “neect”
600 - 1100 C.E.
Lord’s Prayer in Old English
Faeder ure, pu pe eart on heofunum, si pin name
gehalgod. Tobecume pin rice. Gewurde pin
willa on eordan swa swa on hoefunum. Urne
gedae ghwamlican hlaf syle us to daeg. And
forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfad urnum
gyltendum. And ne gelaed pu us on constnunge,
ac alys us of yfele. Sodlice
The Middle Layer
 In 1066, William The Conqueror leads an invasion from
France into England. This act leads to major changes to
English language.
 French becomes the language of the ruling class, while
Anglo-Saxon becomes the language of commoners.
1100 - 1500 C.E.
600 - 1100 C.E.
Latin To French To English
 The French language includes many Latin words. As
French words became incorporated into the English
language, so did Latin words.
 Hence over 50% of our English words originate from
Latin.
1100 - 1500 C.E.
Latin To French To English
 French words that came from the Middle English (11001500):




government: country, duke, parliament
military: arms, peace, war, captain
legal: court, judge, attorney, defendant, felony
leisure: art, costume, pleasure, trump, ace, duce
1100 - 1500 C.E.
“Hog Chop” For Dinner?
 English still includes French words for the foods we
commonly eat, i.e. pork, beef, mutton, venison
 But, for the animals that provide the food, we use the
Anglo-Saxon words: hog, cow, sheep, deer
1100 - 1500 C.E.
The Lord's Prayer (Pater Noster)
in Middle English
Oure fadir that art in heuene halowid be thi
name, thi kyngdom come to, be thi wile don in
erthe as in heuene, yeue to us this day oure breed
ouir other substance, & foryeue to us oure dettis,
as we for yeuen to oure dettouris & lede us not in
to temptacion: buy delyuer us from yuel. Amen
Vocabulary Building
 Latin words from this period are often composed of
prefixes, roots and suffixes.
 Students can learn many vocabulary words at once by
learning about these Latin roots and affixes.
1100 - 1500 C.E.
Vocabulary Building
The root tract means pull or draw.
contract –
pull with
extract –
pull out
Explain: traction
detract
distract –
pull apart
intractable
Using Root Words From Latin
Phonetics
Teaching about
combining roots,
Phonology
Morphology
Semantics
Syntax
Orthography
prefixes and suffixes
helps children learn
about...??
Prefixes And Suffixes:
Using This Information in the Classroom
 Most of today’s suffixes date from the Middle English
period of history.
 Inflectional Suffixes (learned early):
 -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -er, -est
 Derivational Suffixes (usually change part of speech):
 -able, - ness, -ful, -ment, -ity
 The suffixes may change pronunciation of base words:
 define  definition
 compete competition
The Top Layer
 The final layer in our English cake is characterized by 2
phenomena:
 The Renaissance
 The Great Vowel Shift
1500 - Present
1100 - 1500
600 - 1100
AKA: Old English
Not Enough Words
 The Renaissance, a time of new ideas, science and trade,
demanded a growing stock of words:
 Latin (added in modern era): allusion, appropriate, external,
benefit, exist
 Greek (useful for new inventions, ideas): atmosphere, atom,
telephone, nylon
1500 - Present
Not Enough Words
Renaissance
scholars needed
new words for new
meanings. This is a
problem of...??
Phonetics
Phonology
Morphology
Semantics
Syntax
Orthography
Modern English: Changes in Vowels
 While the Renaissance contributed much to the
semantics of English, the other major influence on
Modern English affected mainly quite a different area of
the language….
The Great Vowel Shift
1500 - Present
Changing Vowel Sounds
 Since Modern English began, the pronunciations of many
words have changed.
1500 - Present
PHONEME
MIDDLE
ENGLISH
MODERN
ENGLISH
Long “a”
“nahm-uh”
name
Long “e”
Long “i”
“clain”
“feef”
clean
five
Changing Vowel Sounds
When vowel
Phonetics
sounds change
in a language,
it is a matter
of...??
Phonology
Morphology
Semantics
Syntax
Orthography
The Great Vowel Shift
 During the Renaissance, the pronunciation of words
changed particularly for the vowel sounds.
 The spelling system was already established and did not
change to accommodate the changing sound.
1500 - Present
Changing Vowel Sounds
Phonetics
Phonology
Morphology
Semantics
Syntax
Orthography
The written form of
the language did not
change. This is an
example of...??
From Layer To Layer
Old English
Latin
Greek
earth
terrain
geographic
fire
ignite
pyre
water
aquatic
hydrogen
concrete
Primary
abstract
4th – 7th
7th – 12th
Identify Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon
Word
thirty
precept
gymnast
analyze
prospect
rabbit
wash
biosphere
atrocious
psalm
Origin
Clue
Identify Greek, Latin and Anglo-Saxon
Word
thirty
precept
gymnast
analyze
prospect
rabbit
wash
biosphere
atrocious
psalm
Origin
AS
L
Gr
Gr
L
AS
AS
Gr
L
Gr
Clue
number/th
pt/soft “c”
medial “y”
medial “y”
“ct”
animal/double “b”
every day
“ph”
“ci” = /sh/
silent “p”
A Multicultural Language
English Words from Around the World
African
banjo
jazz
gumbo
tote
Hindi
bungalow
dungarees
pajama
tote
American
Indian
moose
opossum
wigwam
raccoon
Italian
balcony
opera
umbrella
piano
German
dollar
kindergarten
quartz
Malay
yacht
amok
bamboo
Russian
mammoth
Arabic
Yiddish
alcohol
bagel
algebra
kibbutz
coffee
zero
What Else Does Our Cake Need?
The words of many lands
and people…the icing on the cake.
The State Of English Today...
 English has the largest vocabulary of any language:




English:
French:
German:
Russian:
650,000 words
100,000
184,000
100,000
 “English is well on the way to becoming a universal
language.”
From English Isn’t Crazy, Diana Hanbury King, p. xi
You Now Know…
 What sounds will children confuse with /p/ and how can
I help?
 Why do common sight words such as “was,” “what,”
and “said,” have irregular spellings?
 How many meaningful parts (morphemes) are there in
the word contracted?
 Why is English spelling perceived as “crazy?”
Congratulations!
You have completed Unit 3:
The Structure Of Language
SOURCES
 Henderson, Edmund H. 1981. Learning to read and spell: The
child’s knowledge of words. DeKalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois
University Press.
 Henderson, Edmund H. 1990. Teaching spelling, 2nd ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin.
 King, Diana Hanbury. 2000. English isn’t crazy: The elements of
our language and how to teach them. Baltimore: York.
 Moats, Louisa. 2000. Speech to print: Language essentials for
teachers. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
 Henry, Marcia K. 2003. Unlocking literacy: Effective decoding and
spelling instruction. Baltimore, Maryland.