field independence n
see field dependence
field methods n
see fieldwork
field of discourse n
see social context
field research n
see fieldwork
field testing n
also field trial, pilot testing
in the production of instructional materials, the try-out of materials before
publication or further development in order to determine their suitability or
effectiveness and to determine the reactions of teachers and learners to the
materials.
fieldwork n
also field research
the collection of data by observation or recording in as natural a setting as
possible. Different procedures (called field methods) are used to obtain
data. For example:
athe recording of speakers to obtain speech samples for analysis of
sounds, sentence structures, lexical use, etc. The people recorded may
be native speakers of a particular language or speakers using a second
language.
binterviews, e.g. in bilingual or multilingual communities, to obtain infor-
mation on language choice and/or attitudes to language.
c observation and/or video recording of verbal or non-verbal behaviour in
a particular situation (see participant observation).
The collection and the use of data (empirical investigation) plays an important
part in the research work of many applied linguists and sociolinguists.
figure of speech n
a word or phrase that is used for special effect and that does not have its
usual or literal meaning. Some examples include euphemism, hyperbole
(an exaggerated statement, such as Iām so hungry,I could eat a horse),
sarcasm(when a speaker means the opposite of what is said, e.g. Great idea!
in response to a poor idea), synecdoche(using a component of something
figure of speech