Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Language

ITEM 9: THE SYSTEM OF LANGUAGE I

1 - What is Grammatical Competence and its Application in Education?

Communicative competence (speaking, reading, listening, and writing) encompasses various skills, including grammatical competence. Grammatical competence is not just about the rules of a language but also the practical application and strategies for learning. Canale (1985) defines four dimensions of communicative competence: grammatical, sociolinguistic, discursive, and strategic/pragmatic.

Components of Grammatical Competence:

Here's a summary of the components:

1. Phonology: Pronunciation aspects like elisions, speed, intonation, and emphatic contrasts.
2. Spelling: Conventions of writing, including spelling, segmentation, and punctuation.
3. Vocabulary:

Topic Relevance and Reader Engagement

Assess whether the commentary's topic is current and its main subject. Include references to the text. Consider if the text's ideas resonate with and involve the reader.

Formal Aspects and Exposition

Evaluate if the reader feels involved in the text and understands the topic and thesis firsthand. Elaborate on this point. Subsequently, consider:

Content Structure and Coherence

A well-structured content clearly presents the central idea and its various aspects, reiterating them throughout the text. This confers coherence and cohesion among the text's parts.

Author's Voice and Argumentation

Identifying the Thesis and Author's Opinion

The author's opinion typically constitutes the thesis.

Objectivity vs. Subjectivity

• Objectivity:

Narcís Oller: A Literary Portrait

Narcís Oller i Moragas (1846–1930), born in Valls, Catalonia, was a prominent figure in Catalan literature. His professional activities alternated with a profound literary vocation.

Early Life and Literary Beginnings

Initially writing in Spanish, Oller's participation in the tertúlies (literary gatherings) of La Renaixença, his involvement with literary journals, and his attendance at the Floral Games ultimately persuaded him to write in Catalan. This period marked a significant shift in his literary focus, aligning him with the burgeoning Catalan cultural movement.

Major Novels and Their Themes

Oller's work primarily consists of six influential novels, each exploring distinct facets of society and human nature:... Continue reading "Narcís Oller: Master of Catalan Realism and Naturalism" »

Lazarillo de Tormes: Summary and Analysis

Lazarillo de Tormes has had several sequels and imitations. In 1620, Juan de Luna published the Second Part of Lazarillo of Tormes in Paris. The same year, El Lazarillo de Manzanares by Juan Cortes de Tolosa was published in Madrid. Even in modern times, Camilo José Cela published New Adventures and Misadventures of Lazarillo de Tormes.

Plot and Structure

The novel consists of a prologue and seven treatises of uneven length. It is written in an autobiographical form: the narrator writes to "Your Grace," who has previously asked him to fully explain "the case," referring to rumors about the infidelity of Lázaro's wife. Lázaro does not limit himself to accounting for the case, but, justifying himself... Continue reading "Lazarillo de Tormes: Summary, Analysis & Structure" »

Vanguards and "Isms": Ramón Gómez de la Serna

In the 1920s, Novecentismo rejected mimetic and realistic poetry. It embraced a disruptive position, obsessed with aesthetic exploration and experimentation. The concept of "art" encompassed various movements, including Futurism, Cubism, Surrealism, Creationism, and Ultraism. These diverse trends rejected imitation, sentimentality, conformity, and established rules. They argued that the poet, the creator, must be original and forge their own aesthetic. The quest for originality became essential, emphasizing surprise and provocation through play and humor.

From 1926 onward, Spain witnessed the emergence of the avant-garde. Creationism, the first movement, appeared through Gerardo Diego's magazine,... Continue reading "Spanish Avant-Garde Movements in the 1920s" »

Introduction

This document analyzes a newspaper editorial, examining its communicative intentions, discursive form, language use, and stylistic devices. The editorial addresses a topical issue, reflecting on it with a moderate tone and offering solutions.

Communicative Intentions and Discursive Form

The editorial exhibits a dual communicative intention: reporting and commenting. This duality is reflected in the discursive form, which blends argumentative (subjective) and expository (objective) elements. Objectivity is achieved through the use of third-person pronouns, declarative sentences, specific adjectives, and factual data. Subjectivity is evident in the use of evaluative lexis, notable emphasis, and the emergence of first, second, and third-... Continue reading "Analysis of a Newspaper Editorial" »

Kinds of Nouns

Common Nouns

Words for realities that form classes.

Proper Nouns

Words used to identify and refer to individual beings.

Concrete Nouns

Show realities that may be perceived by any of our senses.

Abstract Nouns

Designate things not perceived by the senses but only by the mind.

Collective Nouns

Singular words that refer to sets of individuals of the same nature.

Individual Nouns

Refer to each of the elements within a set, opposing groups that do not presuppose the existence of a set.

Uncountable Nouns

Realities that do not support designating numerals.

Adjectives

Morphological Viewpoint

Adjectives have morphemes of gender and number, allowing them to agree with the nouns they accompany. They can be derived or compound.

Semantic Viewpoint

Adjectives... Continue reading "Exploring Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs in Language" »

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Summary

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a novel by Patrick Süskind, narrated in the third person, that tells the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.

Grenouille was born in 18th-century France amidst the most obnoxious odors imaginable. Abandoned by his mother, he barely survived. However, he possessed something special from birth: an extraordinary sense of smell. This gift, coupled with his lack of a personal odor, drove him to become a murderer with a singular goal: to create the most exquisite human scent.

This obsession led him to commit heinous crimes, extracting the most exquisite fragrances from his victims' bodies, culminating in an unexpected and surprising ending.

The Development of Odors in the Book

The... Continue reading "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - A Detailed Summary" »

Galician Popularization in Portugal

The great writers were concerned about the lack of written rules in common, which would be a priority goal. In Galician, we distinguish the following steps:

Precursors and writers belonging to the *Renacemento* (Renaissance). It is characterized by Castilianisms, dialects, and vulgarisms in speech, such as the use of Spanish to resolve lexical deficiencies. There is some interdialectal talk; it does not merely reflect the speech of the area. Eduardo Pondal's writing is cultured and refined; he takes into account Portuguese and makes use of cultism in spelling. The use of Spanish was something that they knew well. The best writing of the 19th century uses single quotes to represent contractions. An institution... Continue reading "Evolution of the Galician Language Since the 19th Century" »

Dialogue

Dialogue is a text type in which two or more people share the use of words. It is the most frequent form of communication in daily life. Dialogue can be conducted directly or through other means.

Kinds of Dialogue

• Unplanned: These are spontaneous, impromptu, and without preparation, such as a conversation.
• Planned: Prepared in advance, such as a party, debate, or interview.

Exposition

Exposition is a text that presents or explains a topic.

Structure of an Exposition

• Introduction: The topic is introduced.
• Body: Paragraphs in which the subject is developed.
• Conclusion: A final summary of the main ideas.

Argumentation

Argumentation is a text that defends an idea.

Varieties of Language

Verbal language is communicated through words.

• Oral: Spread by word