The term “minimal pair” is also sometimes used of any two pieces of
language that are identical except for a specific feature or group of related
features.
For example, the sentences:
The boy is here.
The boys are here.
may be called a minimal pair because they are the same except for the
contrast between singular and plural expressed in both noun and verb.minimal pair drilln
a drillin which minimal pairsare practised together, especially in order
to help students to learn to distinguish a sound contrast. For example if
a teacher wanted to practise the contrast between /b/ and /p/, the teacher
could (a) explain how the sounds differ; (b) present pairs of words
containing the contrast, for listening practice; e.g. bore – pour, big – pig,
buy – pie; (c) get the students to show that they know which member of the
pair they have heard; (d) get them to pronounce such pairs themselves.
Minimal Terminable Unitn
another term for t-unit
minority languagen
see majority language
minority language groupn
another term for language minority group
minority studentsn
in countries where English is a first language, often used to refer to students
whose first language is a language other than English, for whom special
instruction in English may be needed.
miscuen
see miscue analysis
miscue analysisn
the analysis of errors or unexpected responses which readers make in read-
ing, as part of the study of the nature of the reading process in children
learning to read their mother tongue.
Among the different types of miscue which occur are:
ainsertion miscue: the adding of a word which is not present in the text
(e.g. the child may read Mr Barnaby was a busy old maninstead of
Mr Barnaby was a busy man).
miscue analysis