 GLOSSARY

Module One
channel/medium(n) The form of the message or the vehicle for sending it (televised, podcast,
tele/video-conferencing, e-books, e-readers); also referred to as medium. The
plural form of ‘medium’ used in this syllabus is ‘mediums’ to differentiate it from
‘media’ as used in mass media).

data (n) Information that is used as a basis for calculating, reasoning or making
decisions.

database (n) A collection of information (data) that is organised in, for example, a computer to
enable rapid search and retrieval.

efferent reading Reading for information.

(adj)

fallacy (n) An error in reasoning or logic. More than a dozen common logical fallacies can
readily be identified. A well-known fallacy is the bandwagon appeal, as in:
Dedicated professional people all use product X, so shouldn’t you do so too?

genre (n) A category of literature or art.

media (n) For example, press, print, radio, TV and Internet news, entertainment sources. Also
referred to as mass media.

medium/channel See channel.

(n)
An article or other document written by the actual researcher of a study or
primary source (n)
creator of a theory. Journals are great sources of articles that are primary
sources. Historical documents, literary works, letters and reports are also
examples of primary sources.

reliability (n) The level to which an experiment, test or procedure gives the same results when
done again and again.

resource (n) A physical, human or virtual tool that assists one. In research, reliable websites
can be considered resources, just as journals, compact discs, reports,
encyclopedias; audio/video tapes are considered resources. Typically, a
resource is a source of information.

search engine (n) A tool that assists in sifting through databases to identify sources that fit
specific criteria. For example, Google and Yahoo are popular search engines;
the user may be directed to either full articles or to databases that contain
information but that require a password or fee. Many colleges and universities
now subscribe to services that allow students direct access to databases such as
ProQuest and Ebsco Host; the latter, for example, houses Academic Search

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 Premier and Business Source Premier that provide access to almost 5,000 full
text journals, which contain thousands of primary sources.

secondary source An article, book or other document written by someone who did not actually do
(n) the research or formulate the opinions or theories but who has pulled together
relevant sources. Encyclopedias and textbooks are common examples.

validity (n) The extent to which a test, experiment or procedure measures what it aims to
measure.

Module Two
Caribbean Standard An accepted standard of English developed in the Caribbean. It is as much a
English (CSE) (n) standard English as is British Standard English, American Standard English,
Australian Standard English and Nigerian Standard English. CSE differs from
other Standard Englishes primarily on the phonological and lexical levels, with no
appreciable difference in grammar, particularly in the formal written mode

Lexical differences can be found generally in the areas of body parts, clothing,
food/drink and cultural beliefs. Some peculiar CSE expressions are: maubi, roti,
obeah, parang, cut your eye at somebody, suck your teeth

In terms of phonology, the international patterns of CSE vary within the

Caribbean territories as well as from other standard Englishes.

Caribbean Creole (n) A language with a lexical base primarily from a European language but with a
grammar that is non-European in many respects. Caribbean English Creoles
(CEC) therefore have English as their lexical base. An example of a Creole with a
French lexical base is St. Lucian Kwéyòl. The grammars of these Creoles are in
some respects patterned on their West African sources. An example is the
predicative use of adjectives, as in ‘mi siki’ ‘mwen malad’.

code-switch (v) Move between varieties of language within a single utterance or in a conversation,
for example, I went late to the market and mi no get no food. In this utterance, the
speaker moves from Standard English I went to Creole mi no get no food.

Creole (n) A native language which has its beginnings in situations of contact where groups
of people who did not share a common language were forced to communicate with
each other.

Creole-influenced A form of social communication that is in routine, widespread use in certain

vernacular (n) communities, for example, Barbados, and that is influenced by some features of a
Creole.

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dialect (n) A regional or social variety of a language, usually noticeable through features of
vocabulary and pronunciation and, to a lesser extent, grammar. Within English,
several regional dialects can be identified, such as British English, American
English, Nigerian English, Australian English and Caribbean English. Jamaican,
Bajan, Belize Kriol and Trinidadian Creole are dialects of Caribbean Creole.
Within Caribbean territories, there is further dialectal variation.

language (n) A systematic way of communicating feelings or idea in words and signs. A
language subsumes dialects and idiolects (personal ways of speaking a dialect)
and may be designated as international, official, national. It may also be placed
in a linguistic family or group. For example, French, Italian and Spanish belong
to the Romance family of languages.

idiomatic expression An idiomatic expression is a saying or phrase with a figurative rather than a
(n) literal meaning, which cannot be worked out from the meaning of the component
words. Examples of idiomatic expressions in English are rain cats and dogs,
kick the bucket, not my cup of tea.

Idiomatic expressions in Caribbean Creole include to kiss/suck teeth, to cut your

eye (at someone)

international language (Also referred to as global language.) A language that serves as a lingua franca
(n) for peoples whose native languages are different. Of the world’s 6,000 or so
known languages, three (English, Spanish and French) are generally considered
as international languages. For example, at the Olympics, which generally
enjoys the participation of many countries, hundreds of different languages are
informally spoken, but all formal communication generally occurs in these three
international languages: English, Spanish and French, apart from the official
language of the host country.

national language (n) (Also referred to as native language or mother tongue.) A language the
government recognises as having major significance in the social life of a nation.
This might mean the government would allow one or more national languages to
be used in education. Some countries have several national languages. For
example, India recognises some 14 national languages; and Belize recognises
five national languages. What is considered as an official language in one
country (for example, Spanish in Mexico) may be used as a national language in
another country (for example, Spanish in Belize).

official language (n) A language used in official situations for legal, educational, government, and
other formal communication purposes. Some countries recognise two or more
official languages. For example, Canada recognises English and French, India
recognises English and Hindi, and Haiti Haitian Creole and French.

pre-verbal particle A word that systematically comes before a verb and modifies the latter’s
marker (n) meaning by specifying the general time and nature of its action. For example, in
the phrase does teach, does is a pre-verbal particle that specifies present time,
emphasis and regularity of occurrence in the meaning of the verb in most
Caribbean English Creoles. .

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register (n) The range of types of language choices from highly formal and stylised to
intimate, available for use.

standard language (n) The dialect of a language that is generally used for education and other formal
or official purposes. It is generally held to be the most prestigious of the dialects
of a language.

style (n) A person’s distinctive way of speaking or writing that arises from factors such as
pronunciation, word choice and sentence structure.

vernacular (n) The language variety of a community or country that is in routine widespread use
in social interaction.

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Module Three

culture (n) A way of life characteristic of a group of people. It includes their language, food,
dress, and lifestyles, is socially acquired and evolves slowly across generations.

intercultural The type of communication that takes place between or across cultures or sub-
communication groups.

interpersonal The type of communication that takes place between two or more people.
communication

intrapersonal The type of communication that takes place within a person and which consists of
communication (n) thinking, imagining and reflecting.

mode (n) A general way of categorising. For example, communication can be considered to
have five modes: listening, speaking, reading, writing and visually representing.

Sources for meanings in this glossary

Allsopp, R. Dictionary of Caribbean English, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Devonish, H. Language and Liberation: Creole language politics in the Caribbean, (2nd ed.),
Kingston: Arawak, 2007.

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.), Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster

Incorporated, 1996.

Tubbs, S. L. and Human communication: Principles and contexts, (10th ed.), New York:
Moss, S. McGraw Hill, 2007.

Young, C. Language and education in Belize, Belize City: Angelus Press, 2002.

Audiotapes by
performers such as: Paul Keens-Douglas (for example, Savannah Ghost, Tim Tim),
Joan Andrea Hutchinson (for example, Dat Bumpy Head Gal).

Videotaped films
such as: My Fair Lady and Oliver At Large

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