diagnostic questionnairedevelopmental sequence n
(in second and foreign language learning) a succession of phases in
acquiring new linguistic forms. An important issue in theories of second
language acquisitionis whether learners’ errors result from language
transfer or are sometimes developmental errors. It has been
suggested that a developmental sequence may explain how many learners
acquire the rules for negationin English. Learners may first produce
forms such as I no like that (instead of I don’t like that) and No drink some
milk (instead of I don’t want to drink any milk), even when the learner’s
mother tongue has similar negation rules to English. As language learning
progresses, a succession of phases in the development of negation is
observed, as no gives way to other negative forms such as not and don’t.
A developmental sequence is thus said to occur with the development
of negation in English.
developmental testing n
see field testing
devoicing n
see voice^2
diachronic linguistics n
an approach to linguistics which studies how languages change over time,
for example the change in the sound systems of the Romance languages
from their roots in Latin (and other languages) to modern times or the study
of changes between Early English to Modern British English. The need for
diachronic and synchronic descriptions to be kept apart was emphasized by
the Swiss linguist Saussure. Not all approaches to linguistic analysis make
this distinction (see generative phonology).
see also comparative historical linguistics
diacritics n
small added marks placed over, under, or through a letter that can be
used to distinguish different values of a sound. For example, the addition
of ~ distinguishes the velarized lateral /\/ in feelfrom the non-velarized
/l / in leaf.
diagnostic questionnaire n
a learner questionnaire used to find out what problems students report they
have when using a second language. It is usually given at the beginning of a
course as part of a needs analysis.