Hello.
My studies are only language related, so today I'll show you 20 useful words to help you learn a new language. In this Glossary I will give you few words to help you understand the meaning of usual words employed in the process of learning, and the slight differences between common used terms.
adverb
Word that describe a verb.
Example: I did my homework thoroughly. 'Thoroughly' is an adverb.
en: adverbe
alliteration
commonly called tongue twister.
Repetition of consonants or sounds used to help the learning of language. It can make it easier to memorize a concept of subtle pronunciation.
Example: But a better butter makes a batter better.
en: allitération
alphabet
Set of letters arranged in a fixed order which is the base of every language.Each letter is a symbol used to write and make specific sound when teamed up with others. The alphabet may differ from a language to another.
Example: A, B, C, D...
en: alphabet
antonym
A word that means the opposite of another.
Example: The dog is happy, but the cat is sad. 'happy' and 'sad' are antonyms.
en: antonyme
assonance
Repetition of vowels or sounds to create a voice effect when spoken. It is close to the alliteration, but it doesn't need to repeat the consonants.
Example: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
en: assonance
auxiliary verb
also called helping verb
Verb used in front of the main verb to express a tense.
Example: I am going to the lake right now. 'Am' is the adverb of 'going' to express that the action is made instantly, instead of saying 'I go to the lake' which is not proper in that case.
en: verbe auxiliaire
comparative
Adjective that compare a thing to another. It expresses a different quantity, quality or degree between them.
Example: The comparative term of happy is happier.This dog seems happier than the cat.
en: comparatif
dialect
Way of talking proper to a culture or the part of a country even of it is the same language.
Example: The English spoken in London is in a different dialect than the English from America.
en: dialecte
glossary
Alphabetical list of words and their definition relating to a specific subject.
Example: A glossary of technical terms in medicine.
en: glossaire
homonym
Two words written the same way, but that does not mean the same thing.
Example: The word 'right' is a homonym because it could mean a direction or to be correct.
en: homonyme
homophone
More than one word that have the same pronunciation but not written the same way, and does not mean the same thing.
Example: I don't know whether I stay home or not because the weather is horrible today. Whether and weather are homophones.
en: homophone
idiom
A figurative sentence or expression who means something different from the words of their own. Most of them originated from a real meaning (literal) but became figurative with time. There are thousands of idiom in every language.
Example: It is raining cats and dogs.
en: idiome
immersion
Learning a language by being completely involve in that language. listening, speaking and writing only in that language.
Example: Exchanged students learn the language of their foreign country faster because of the immersion.
en: immersion
meaning
The intended signification of a word or an expression.
Example: What does 'useful' means in French? It means 'utile'.
en: signification
peer feedback
or peer review
Feedback is given by one student to another, with comments made on each other’s work to help improve themselves through the knowledge of peers. Students will evaluate based on defined criteria.
Example: A classmate gave his feedback to the story I wrote, so I learned that I should put more adjective in my text.
en: retour d'information par les pairs
phonetic
Written symbols that will show you the sound or the pronunciation of a word.
Example: The phonetic word of tough is 'TAF'.
en: phonétique
slang
Very informal way of speaking used by groups of people. Slang often becomes particular to group who is apart from others. More spoken than written, and unique to a language.
Example: This is so cool! That guy was so salty!
en: jargon, argot, langue verte
superlative
It is a comparison between things, but to express the most degree possible. It can be a quality, a quantity or a relation who is described.
Example: The superlative of happy is happiest. The dog seems to be the happiest in this house.
en: superlatif
synonym
A word or an expression that has the same meaning of another.
Example: 'Denying' is a synonym of 'refusing'.
en: synonyme
vocabulary
All the words that exist in a particular language.
Example: She uses a rich vocabulary when she speaks in English.