factor analysisfactor analysis n
a statistical procedure that is used to determine which unobserved latent
variables^2 , called factors, account for the correlations among different
observed variables. For example, if we give a group of students tests in
geometry, algebra, arithmetic, reading and writing, we can find out what
underlying factors are common to results on all these tests by using factor
analysis. A factor analysis might show that there are two factors in the tests,
one related to mathematics and the other related to language proficiency.
These factors may be interpreted as abilities or traits that these tests
measure to differing degrees. There are basically two types of factor analysis:
exploratory and confirmatory. Exploratory factor analysis, as its name
indicates, is used to explore a group of observed variables and identify any
underlying variables that might explain the relationships among the observed
variables, whereas confirmatory factor analysis, again as its name indicates,
is used to test or confirm a hypothesized factor structure of a group of
observed variables, specified a priori on the basis of some underlying theory
or previous research, to see if the proposed factor structure is adequate to
explain the relationships among the observed variables.
factual recountn
see text types
false beginner n
(in language teaching) a learner who has had a limited amount of previous
instruction in a language, but who because of extremely limited language
proficiency is classified as at the beginning level of language instruction.
A false beginner is sometimes contrasted with a true beginner, i.e. someone
who has no knowledge of the language.
false cognate n
also faux amis,false friend
a word which has the same or very similar form in two languages, but which
has a different meaning in each. The similarity may cause a second language
learner to use the word wrongly. For example, the French word expérience
means “experiment”, and not “experience”. French learners of English
might thus write or say: Yesterday we performed an interesting experience
in the laboratory.
False cognates may be identified by contrastive analysis.
familiarity n
a measure of how frequently a linguistic item is thought to be used, or the
degree to which it is known. This may be measured by asking people to