ENG1502
Foundations in English Language Studies
Latest Exam Pack
2015 till October 2022
2023 ENG1502
Latest Exam
Pack (2023)
(Questions and
Answers)
ANSWERS ARE DETAILED 2023
, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 (Memo)
ENG1502
Foundation in Applied English Language Studies SECTION A: Language,
Varieties and Sounds
QUESTION 1
Language is sometimes referred to as a semiotic system (Halliday 1979; Carter et al.
1997). This means that language uses words, signs, and symbols to make meaning.
Therefore, when we study language we study words, signs, and symbols. Bearing in
mind this claim about language, explain each of the following areas of language and
substantiate your answer by use of relevant examples.
Here is an example which explains an area of language and provides substantiation.
Phonology: This is an area of language whose focus is on sounds and how the
sounds combine to form meaningful words. It is for this reason that phonology is
referred to as the study of sound patterns or the organization of sounds in each
language.
In English for example, the word ‘BOOK’; phonemically represented as /bʊk/ is
organized using three sounds /b/, /ʊ/ and /k/. Put together, these sounds generate a
one syllable word/a noun used to refer to ‘a written or printed work consisting of
pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers’
A second example is the word ‘MANAGE’ phonemically represented as /manɪdʒ/ - a
two syllable verb which means to be in charge. The word is formed using the
following sounds: /m/, /a/, /n/,/ɪ/, /dʒ/.
a) Phonetics (3 marks)
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that deals with the study of the physical
properties of speech sounds, including their production, transmission, and
perception. Phonetics is concerned with the articulation, acoustic properties, and
classification of speech sounds. An example of phonetics in English is the distinction
between the sounds /p/ and /b/. These sounds are produced by closing the lips and