PORTFOLIO TASK

Student’s Name : 1.
2.
3.
Student Reg. No. : 1.
2.
3.
Unit :…
1. Write, in the space below, a paragraph that describes what you’ve learned in this
unit.

 The relationship between language and meaning is not a straightforward

one. One reason for this complicated relationship is the limitlessness of
modern language systems like English
 Words are Arbitrary
To justify the above statement, let us investigate the forms of the same concept
and object in different languages.
English Hello !
Hindi Kaise !
Fijian Bula !
Korean Anyeonghaseo!
Indonesian Halo !
The words (forms), as clearly seen above, are very different from one
language to another, yet they express the same concept and object, ‘greeting’. The
purposes are similar, greeting someone.
 Words in Context
Another important point is that words are usually used in a broader context,rather than
in isolation. t is commonly recognized that words are used in phrases and sentences
which greatly influence the meaning of individual words

 THE MEANING OF MEANING

Meaning has been, for a long time, argued with respect to what it really is. Some
scholars have said that each person has a particular meaning in their mind for every
word in the mother tongue, and each of these meanings differ from the meanings in the
mind of every other person. Let us have a look at some aspects of this idea. It will help
you think about what happens in everyone’s mind when he or she learns a new word.
 The Triangle of Meaning
The triangle of meaningis a model of communication that indicates the relationship
among a thought, symbol, and referent and highlights the indirect relationship between
the symbol and referent.
misunderstandings occur, as the following example illustrates:
Jasper and Abby have been thinking about getting a new dog. So each of them is having
a similar thought. They are each using the same symbol, the word dog, to communicate
about their thought. Their referents, however, are different. Jasper is thinking about a

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small dog like a dachshund, and Abby is thinking about an Australian shepherd. Since the
word dog doesn’t refer to one specific object in our reality, it is possible for them to have
the same thought, and use the same symbol, but end up in an awkward moment when
they get to the shelter and fall in love with their respective referents only to find out
theother person didn’t have the same thing in mind.
about perception checking, can be useful here. Abby might ask Jasper, “What kind of dog

do you have in mind?” This question would allow Jasper to describe his referent, which
would allow for more shared understanding. If Jasper responds, “Well, I like short-haired
dogs. And we need a dog that will work well in an apartment,” then there’s still quite a
range of referents. Abby could ask questions for clarification, like “Sounds like you’re
saying that a smaller dog might be better.Is that right?” Getting to a place of shared
understanding can be difficult, even when we define our symbols and describe our
referents.
 SENSE RELATIONSHIPS IN ENGLISH
It is theorized that there are a variety of ways in which English words can
relate to each other, such as a roof is part of a house, clever is opposed to stupid,
etc. Now, complete the task below as a start of the discussion.
How are the following pairs of words related?
1. good – bad
2. pupil –eye
3. pupil – school
4. big – huge
5. flower – rose
6. their –there –they’re

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  Antonym
Antonyms are words with opposite meanings.
e.g.
good / bad
hot / cold
long / short
old / young

 Synonyms
Synonyms are words with a similar meaning.

e.g.
big – huge – large – bulky
small – little – petite
quick – fast – rapid

 Hyponyms
Hyponyms are words that belong to the same set, or class.
e.g.
car –truck – bus are hyponyms for vehicle
hibiscus –rose –orchid are hyponyms for flower
red – yellow – blue are hyponyms for color

 Homonyms
Homonyms are words that have an identical form, but completely different
meanings
e.g.
pupil part of the eye / a child at school
bank of a river / a financial institution
sole bottom of the foot / only
bark of a tree / the noise a dog makes
 Polysemes
polysemy means many significances-or many meanings.
e.g.
examination a formal test / a detailed inspection
leg a part of the body / a part of a chair or table
quick fast / smart

2. Which part(s) of this unit do you feel that you have not fully comprehended? Write
(it / them) in the space below.

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3. What would you do or have done to have full mastery of this unit?