alternative education

Layers of Language:
Influence of Word Origins on Word Structure

Marcia K. Henry, Ph. D.
Professor Emerita,
San Jose State University


~ Module 13, Session 1~
Handout

Language Knowledge Survey


Part A

I. Circle the short vowels in the following words:

stick blimp map notch alive
flute shabby defend crumb stop


II. Circle the long vowels in the following words:

shake slimy bitter biter pretend
cyclone trend stove became flutist


III. Circle the consonant blends in the following words

clamp flint brisk milk stick
stretch twist speak while splint


IV. Circle the consonant digraphs in the following words:

church thick flash thatch chimp
when bathe flip shouted that


V. Circle the vowel digraphs in the following words:

spoil south retrieve spoke crawl
think author receive flaunt maintain


VI. Divide the following words into syllables:

contract mitten humid telegram complexity
graduate glimpse valuable cabin spectators


VII. Circle the two base words in the following compound words:

grandchild railroad snowflake sleepwalk tablecloth
housecoat slingshot chairlift wrinkle homesick


VIII. Circle the prefixes in the following words:

predicted success advice untimely joined
misplace interrupt multilevel submerge malcontent


IX. Circle the suffixes in the following words:

dictate boredom enlighten existent singular
kindred comedian chemist aquarium musician


X. Circle the Latin word roots in the following words:

flexibility incredible perspiration indented dictionary
attractive digression conformity geometry circumference


XI. Circle the two Greek combing forms in the following words:

phonogram dermatology metaphysics heliometer monologue
orthopod gramophone astrology telephoto bibliophobia

 


Part B Post

NOTE: Categories and items in this section of the survey are similar to those found in: Moats, L. C. (2003). Speech to print workbook: Language exercises for teachers (pp. 1-10). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Phoneme Counting: Read the following words aloud. Count the number of speech sounds, or phonemes) that you hear in each word.

thirst ____             chimp ____         squint ____

felt ____                sprout ____         best ____

Phoneme Recognition: What is the second phoneme (or speech sound) in the following words:

climbing ____        chatter ____       reject ____

physical ____        shined ____        brisk ____

Syllable Counting: Read the following words aloud. Count the number of syllables you hear in each of the words.

artichoke ____      cucumber ____   individual ____

walked ____          scramble ____    rededication ____

Letter-sound Correspondences:

1. What letters signal that c is pronounced /s/?


2. When is ck used in spelling?


3. List all the ways you know how to spell long /o/.


4. List all the ways you know how to spell the consonant sound /n/.


5. Underline the schwa vowels in the following words:

awake        manage       brilliance       generous      repetition

6. List the morphemes and their meaning in the word protozoology.

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