Tag: communication
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Word of the Week: Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, are the ways people can communicate without talking. People of all ages who have difficulty with speech or language use AAC, and it can be used short-term or long-term. There are many diverse AAC methods. Low- and no-tech options include sign language, gestures, facial expressions, communication boards, writing, drawing…
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Read: Raising Bilingual Children
There are many reasons to raise a child to be bilingual or multilingual. Some parents do so because their native language, or that of their family, is not the mainstream language spoken where they live. Other parents want their children to be connected to their culture. Others still simply want their child to have more…
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Word of the Week: Idiolect
An idiolect is an individual’s variation of speech and language. Every person has a distinctive combination of word choice, grammar, pronunciation, and style that makes up their idiolect. As opposed to a dialect, which encompasses the language of a group of people, an idiolect is much more narrow—is unique to the individual. It is influenced…
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Word of the Week: Code-switching
Code-switching means changing how language is used depending on social context. This can mean switching between languages (such as speaking English to an English speaker but German to a German speaker) or mixing languages (such as Spanglish). It can also refer to switching dialect (such as African American English to Standard American English) or changing…
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Word of the Week: Register
Registers are the stylistic variations of language an individual uses based on circumstance. People tend to adapt their pronunciation, word choice, grammar and/or body language to the different social situations in which they might find themselves. The social occasion, context, purpose, and audience are all important when choosing a register. Choosing a register may be…
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Word of the Week: Dialect
A dialect is a variation of a language shared by members of a region, social class, or ethnicity. Dialects can vary from each other in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Some also have unique conversational rules. They are often considered to be mutually intelligible: generally, speakers of one dialect can be understood by speakers of another…
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Word of the Week: Motherese or Parentese
Also known as “baby-talk” and “child directed speech,” motherese or parentese is talk that is directed to an infant or young child. It has a more melodic or sing-song-like intonation than speech directed toward adults. It sounds higher pitched and slower paced, and words are often shortened or simplified. Oftentimes, it includes made-up words or…
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