Midterm Exam Information

Examen Parcial
Patterns & Usage of the English Language II
Facultad de Lenguas y Educación
Dr. Máirín Kelly
 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Format of the Exam reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

• Part I: 5 short response questions (25%)

o Answer all questions
o 2-5 sentences per question
• Part II: 3 long response questions y
l l(45%)
o Select 3 of 5 questions
n Ke
r í
o ái
1-2 paragraphs per question
M
• D r .
Part III: 1 practical application question (30%)
©
o Select 1 of 3 questions
o 2-3 paragraphs per question

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 2

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Key Topics (Parts I & II) reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative
works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

• Historical events that affected English

• Evolution of spelling
• English in different parts of the world (influenced by
region, social class, age, gender, ethnicity)
y
• Importance of Pragmatics e l l
n K
• Semantics vs. Pragmatics i r í
M á
• Use of intonation
r .
© D
• Backchannelling, Code-switching
• Sociolect, Idiolect, Dialect

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 3

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,
Practical Application (Part III) reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative
works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.
• Dialect, sociolect
• Code-switching
• Social context
• Influence of Region, Class, Gender, Age
• Politeness strategies
• l l y
Directness and indirectness
K e
• Register n
• á
Building relationships irí
• r . M
Influence of register on tome and content
• © D
Power dynamics
• Negotiation of identities
• Linguistic features
• Influence of context

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 4

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice (Part III) reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative
works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Question:
Analyse the following conversation for ypragmatic
e l
elements such as politeness strategies,
l power
n K
dynamics, negotiation r í
iof identities and specific
M á
Dr .
linguistic features.
©

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 5

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Conversation
C: Good afternoon, Doctor. I was wondering if I could reschedule my
appointment?
D: May I know the reason for rescheduling? l l y
K e
C: I have a family emergency and won’t be able to make it to the original
appointment. irí n
M á
D: While I understand your situation, it’s crucial to prioritise your health.
r .
© D
However, emergencies do happen.
C: I appreciate your understanding, Doctor. I’ll make sure to reschedule
at the earliest.
D: That’s good to hear. Remember, taking care of your health is of
maximum importance.

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 6

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Answer:
Politeness Strategies/Being Polite (ser educado): Both C
and D are being polite. C is using careful language y (“I was
wondering if”) and talking to the doctorK
l
in ea lformal manner to
r í inn a kind way (“May I know”).
show respect. D is asking for iinfo
á
r . M
© D
Power Dynamics/Who Has More Power?: The conversation
shows that D (the doctor) has more power. D can say “yes” or
“no” to the request. D’s power is also shown when he/she tells C
about the importance of looking after their health.
Dr. Máirín Kelly © 7
 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Answer continued:
Negotiation of Identities/Who They Are: We learn that C is a
patient who needs to deal with a family emergency
y by their
request to change the appointment. We e
see
l D is a doctor
l that
n K
í the importance of health.
i r on
by their responses, which focus
M á
r .
D Features/language Used: The
Specific Linguistic
©
conversation uses formal language that you would hear in a
doctor’s office. The use of words like “could” and “May” shows
politeness and formality.
Dr. Máirín Kelly © 8
 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Question:
Analyse the following conversation for ypragmatic
e l
elements such as politeness strategies,
l power
n K
dynamics, negotiation r í
iof identities and specific
M á
Dr .
linguistic features.
©

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 9

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Conversation
E: Excuse me, Manager. Is it possible to take a day off next week?
F: Can you tell me why you need a day off?
E: I have some personal matters to attend toeand y be able to
l l won’t
come to work. n K
i r í
F: I see. But remember, it’s important to balance your personal life
M á
r
and work commitments..
© DManager. I’ll make sure to manage my tasks
E: I understand,
effectively.
F: That’s the right attitude. Remember, being responsible is part of
your growth as an employee.
Dr. Máirín Kelly © 10
 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Answer:
Politeness Strategies/Being Polite (ser educado): Both E
and F are being polite. E is using careful language y (“Is it
possible”) and talking to the manager in ae l l
formal manner to show
K
í n way (“Can you tell me”).
respect. F is asking for info ini ar kind
M á
r .
© D
Power Dynamics/How Has More Power?: The conversation
shows that F (the manager) has more power. This is shown when
F reminds E about the importance of balancing personal life and
work commitments.
Dr. Máirín Kelly © 11
 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Answer continued:
Negotiation of Identities/Who They Are: We learn that E is an
employee who needs to attend to personal matters by their request
l l yresponses, which
for a day off. We see that F is a manager bye their
n Kat work.
á i rí
focus on the importance of responsibility

r . M
D
Specific Linguistic Features/Language Used: The conversation
uses formal ©
language that you would hear in a workplace situation.
The use of words like “possible” and “Can” shows politeness and
formality.

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 12

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Question:
Analyse a conversation using sociolinguistic concepts.
ly
Identify features such as dialect,e l sociolect, code-
n
switching, etc. and interpretr íthese
Kfeatures in relation to
ái
their social context.MConsider factors such as region,
r .
class, genderDand age. Discuss how these factors might
©
influence the way the speakers use language.

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 13

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.
Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)
María: Hola, Tom! ¿Cómo estás?
Tom: Hi María! I’m good, thank you. ¿Y tú?
María: Estoy bien, gracias. I heard you moved to the city recently. How’s that going?
Tom: It’s a big change from the countryside. Everything is so fast-paced and noisy.
María: l l y
I can imagine. It must be quite a change from the relaxed lifestyle.
K e
Yes, it is. People here speak so fast and there’s always so much happening.
Tom:
María: irí n
That’s true. But you’ll get used to it soon. Have you tried the tapas from the
M á
restaurant down the street? They’re muy sabrosas!
r .
Tom:
© D
Not yet, but I’ll definitely try them out. I’ve been missing some traditional
home-cooked meals though.
María: Well, maybe we can have a dinner party someday. You can bring your
famous apple pie and I can make some homemade tortilla de patatas.
Tom: Great idea! It’ll be nice to have some home-cooked meals again.

Dr. Máirín Kelly © 14

 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Answer:
Dialect and Sociolect (different ways of speaking): María and
Tom are talking mostly in English, but sometimes they use Spanish.
y
This shows they are probably bilingual or that lTom is learning
el
Spanish. The use of Spanish could be aKsociolect characteristic,
r í n
i community.
indicating a shared social group or
M á
r .
© D(switching languages): María and Tom change
Code-Switching
between English and Spanish on various occasions. This shows
they are comfortable with both languages. This could be because
they are bilingual or to establish a shared connection between them.
Dr. Máirín Kelly © 15
 ©Dr. Máirín Kelly. This material is copyrighted and may be
used for private study purposes only. You may not copy,

Exam Practice reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative

works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted
material without the prior written permission of its author.

Part III (worth 30% or 3 points)

Answer continued:
Social Context: The conversation indicates that Tom has moved from
the countryside to the city. This could influence his language and how
fast he talks. María seems more accustomed tol the
e l yfast city life.
n K
Region, Class, Gender and Age i r í
(who they are): We don’t know
M á
exactly where they are
r .
from, how old they are or what jobs they have.
D food (“tapas” and “tortilla”) which indicates
They talk about
©Spanish
they are in a region where people speak Spanish, probably Spain.
Maybe Tom is a native speaker of English because he cooks “apple
pie”. Their mutual respect and politeness suggests similar age or class.
Dr. Máirín Kelly © 16