TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS

FOR SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

AND TEACHING
PORTFOLIO|A.Y 2020-2021|
FIRST SEMESTER

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
OF THE PHILIPPINES
Sta. Mesa, Manila

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT IN

GRADUATE STUDIES SUBJECT TESL 600: LINGUISTIC
FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
LEARNING AND TEACHING
E-PORTFOLIO

DR. ANNABELLE GORDONAS

PROFESSOR

KAREN TUBIO BAYA

MAELT
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

About Me:
Hello there! I am Karen. I am an English Teacher with
license to practice. I am highly passionate about
teaching.. I've been teaching for six years now. My
career has mostly been in ESL teaching to students in
the neighboring countries: China and Korea. .In the
recent years, before pandemic, I've taken on a lecturing
post at Carl E. Balita Review Center.

This opportunity has graced with so much experience

and fulfillment for I am able to help fellow countrymen
and women hone their communication skills in English
while preparing for their Licensure Examinations. This
is the closest thing I have to paying it forward and
serving my nation.

My introverted nature and current work have somehow gotten in the way of my meeting
of people. But my lecturing career made some great radical positive changes with my
social life and skills alike. I love it for many reasons and on top of the list is getting to
meet people from different cultural backgrounds and hearing their life stories. All of
whom had one goal at the time, that is to ace the LET to make their loved ones and
selves proud of such achievement. I don't take that for granted. I consider their
dreams as my driving force to perform well at work.

While we're at it, how about I

show you some of the fond
memories I have while I was at
work?
TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Come and join me! Let's

take a little stroll down
the memory lane!
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Marawi with Love

Here are some good photos to remember my trip to
Marawi by. When I heard of my assignment in the
area, I'm not going to lie, I was a little apprehensive
for many reasons: among those were my ignorance of
the place and postwar stigmas. But what really
pushed me into taking the assignment was my goal of
hopefully extending help through my teaching to
whoever, whenever and in any way I know how. As a
voyager, it is imperative to do a research beforehand.
I asked about the culture of the people, from their
manners, to dress codes, down to the tiniest details
possible just so I won't be offending anybody when I
arrived. I was the only Catholic in the area of meeting.
I don't want to make anybody feel like there's a line
that separate us. So what I did, I followed the dress
code and wear their hijab to make them feel like we're
of the same team and nothing should get in between
us working comfortably with each other. That I
believe sparked tighter relationship among us.

This was two years later after the war. The city was still in its rehabilitation process
during my visit. I hope I had helped its people get back on their feet in my small way of
helping them become licensed professional teachers. Back in the day, I didn't see myself
ever reaching the far ends of the country, especially not in ARMM. But reach the place, I did.
And I brought home with me special memories I will forever hold dearest in my heart.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Coping with the trying times of pandemic has been a laborious of an everyday
task. We question our self-worth, thinking we haven't done enough. But I
know that these memories will prove otherwise. Today, I'd like to open up
part of me that I value so much and I'd like to take this platform to do
that. I would like to share with you the wondrous memories of my teaching
career. I made it a tradition to take post-lecture photos as something to
remember these people and moments with.

(Photo taken at the University

of the Philippines when I was
their keynote speaker for one
of their seminars in
partnership with CBRC.)

post-lecture photo at CBRC Pangasinan

My students and I goofing around

during lunch break at CBRC Sta.
Cruz, Laguna
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Here's a photo of me and my visually

challenged student, Shaira. Her mom sent
me this photo. My parting words with her
was "I pray that this will be your first
and last take of the exam." and indeed it
was. Thank you, Lord!
photo taken at CBRC Davao

photo taken at CBRC Palawan

photo taken at CBRC Caloocan

 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

In every lecture, there'll

always be this group of men
sitting intact in one part of
the room. I call them "the
Masculados".

Of course, I won't forget the

test performers. I always
bring with me some prices
to give as a token of
appreciation to all the
students that will ace the
test. I do this to help keep
them motivated. Here's two
of them from CBRC Nueva
Ecija.

Those are just a few of the memories I hold dear. Showing you these
is my way of easing your way in to getting to know me. Hope you
enjoyed it as much as I did. Now, let's move on to our course
reflection!
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Linguistic Foundations of the English Language

What is linguistics and why study it?
Many people think that a linguist is someone who speaks many languages and works as a
language teacher or as an interpreter at the United Nations. In fact, these people are more
accurately called "Polyglots". While many linguists are polyglots, the focus of linguistics is
about the structure, use and psychology of language in general.

Linguistics is concerned with the nature of language and communication. It deals both with
the study of particular languages, and the search for general properties common to all
languages or large groups of languages. It includes the following subareas :

phonetics (the study of the production, acoustics and hearing of speech sounds)
phonology (the patterning of sounds)
morphology (the structure of words)
syntax (the structure of sentences)
semantics (meaning)
pragmatics (language in context)

It also includes explorations into the nature of language variation (i. e., dialects), language
change over time, how language is processed and stored in the brain, and how it is acquired by
young children. Although linguistics is still largely unfamiliar to the educated public, it is a
growing and exciting field, with an increasingly important impact on other fields as diverse as
psychology, philosophy, education, language teaching, sociology, anthropology, computer science,
and artificial intelligence.

The areas of Linguistics

Phonetics
(the study of the production, acoustics
and hearing of speech sounds)
Phonetics, the study of speech sounds and their
physiological production and acoustic qualities. It deals
with the configurations of the vocal tract used to produce
speech sounds (articulatory phonetics), the acoustic
properties of speech sounds (acoustic phonetics), and the
manner of combining sounds so as to make syllables,
words, and sentences (linguistic phonetics).
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER
Phonology (the patterning of sounds)
Whereas phonetics is the study of sounds and is concerned with the production, audition and
perception of of speech sounds (called phones), phonology describes the way sounds function
within a given language and operates at the level of sound systems and abstract sound units.
Knowing the sounds of a language is only a small part of phonology.

This importance is shown by the fact that you can change one word into another by simply
changing one sound. Consider the differences between the words time and dime. The words are
identical except for the first sound. [t] and [d] can therefore distinguish words, and are called
contrasting sounds. They are distinctive sounds in English, and all distinctive sounds are
classified as phonemes.

Morphology (the structure of words)

Morphology, in linguistics, study of the internal construction of words. Languages vary widely
in the degree to which words can be analyzed into word elements, or morphemes (q.v.). In
English there are numerous examples, such as “replacement,” which is composed of re-,
“place,” and -ment, and “walked,” from the elements “walk” and -ed.
Morphology includes the grammatical processes of inflection and derivation. Inflection marks
categories such as person, tense, and case; e.g., “sings” contains a final -s, marker of the 3rd
person singular, and the German Mannes consists of the stem Mann and the genitive singular
inflection -es. Derivation is the formation of new words from existing words; e.g., “singer”
from “sing” and “acceptable” from “accept.” Derived words can also be inflected: “singers” from
“singer.”

Syntax (the structure of sentences)

Syntax, the arrangement of words in sentences, clauses, and phrases, and the study of the
formation of sentences and the relationship of their component parts. In a language such as
English, the main device for showing the relationship among words is word order; e.g., in “The
girl loves the boy,” the subject is in initial position, and the object follows the verb.
Transposing them changes the meaning.

In many other languages, case markers indicate the grammatical relationships. In Latin,
for example, “The girl loves the boy” may be puella puerum amat with “the girl” in initial
position, or puerum puella amat with “the boy” in initial position, or amat puella puerum,
amat puerum puella, or puella amat puerum. The meaning remains constant because the
-um ending on the form for “boy” indicates the object of the verb, regardless of its
position in the sentence.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Semantics (meaning)
The field of linguistics is concerned with the study of meaning in language. Linguistic
semantics has been defined as the study of how languages organize and express meanings.
Semantics involves the deconstruction of words, signals, and sentence structure. It influences
our reading comprehension as well as our comprehension of other people’s words in
everyday conversation. Semantics play a large part in our daily communication, understanding,
and language learning without us even realizing it.

For example, in everyday use, a child might make use of semantics to understand a mom’s
directive to “do your chores” as, “do your chores whenever you feel like it.” However, the
mother was probably saying, “do your chores right now.”

Pragmatics (language in context)

Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics concerned with the use of language in social contexts
and the ways people produce and comprehend meanings through language. Pragmatics has
its roots in philosophy, sociology, and anthropology. In terms of pragmatics, signs refers
not to physical signs but to the subtle movements, gestures, tone of voice, and body
language that often accompany speech.

Pragmatics is different from semantics, which concerns the relations between signs and the
objects they signify. Semantics refers to the specific meaning of language; pragmatics
involves all the social cues that accompany language. Pragmatics focuses not on what
people say but how they say it and how others interpret their utterances in social
contexts. Utterances are literally the units of sound you make when you talk, but the
signs that accompany those utterances give the sounds their true meaning.

Speaking of pragmatics, I was first in line

to give a presentation this semester. The
topic assigned to me was heavily anchored
in pragmatics --- "Discourse Analysis".
In the next slide, you will find my written
report. Enjoy!
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Discourse Analysis
Identifying key terms in Discourse Analysis
Discourse analysis, also called discourse studies, was developed during the 1970s as an
academic field. Discourse analysis is a broad term for the study of the ways in which
language is used between people, both in written texts and spoken contexts.

Whereas other areas of language study might focus on individual parts of language—
such as words and phrases (grammar) or the pieces that make up words (linguistics)
—discourse analysis looks at a running conversation involving a speaker and listener
(or a writer's text and its reader).

Discourse analysis is a research method for studying written or spoken language in

relation to its social context. It aims to understand how language is used in real life
situations.

When you do discourse analysis, you might focus on:

The purposes and effects of different types of language

Cultural rules and conventions in communication
How values, beliefs and assumptions are communicated
How language use relates to its social, political and historical context

Discourse analysis is a common qualitative research method in many humanities and

social science disciplines, including linguistics, sociology, anthropology, psychology and
cultural studies.

Key Takeaways: Discourse Analysis

Discourse analysis looks at conversations in their social context.
Discourse analysis melds linguistics and sociology by taking into account the social
and cultural context that language is used.
It can be used by businesses, academic researchers, or the government—any
person or organization that wants to better understand an aspect of
communication.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

What Discourse Analysis Does

Misunderstanding relayed information can lead to problems—big or small. Being able
to distinguish subtle subtext in order to differentiate between factual reporting and
fake news, editorials, or propaganda is crucial to interpreting true meaning and intent.
This is the reason that having well-developed skills in the critical analysis of
discourse—to be able to "read between the lines" of verbal and/or written
communication—is of utmost importance.

Since the establishment of the field, discourse analysis has evolved to include a wide
range of topics, from the public versus private use of language to official versus
colloquial rhetoric, and from oratory to written and multimedia discourses. The field
of study has further branched out to be paired with the fields of psychology,
anthropology, and philosophy, thus meshing linguistics with sociology.

What is discourse analysis used for?

Conducting discourse analysis means examining how language functions and how
meaning is created in different social contexts. It can be applied to any instance of
written or oral language, as well as non-verbal aspects of communication such as tone
and gestures. By analyzing these types of discourse, researchers aim to gain an
understanding of social groups and how they communicate.

Materials that are suitable for discourse analysis include:

Books, newspapers and periodicals
Marketing material, such as brochures and advertisements
Business and government documents
Websites, forums, social media posts and comments
Interviews and conversations

How is discourse analysis different from other methods?

Unlike linguistic approaches that focus only on the rules of language use, discourse
analysis emphasizes the contextual meaning of language.

Unlike grammar analysis, which focuses on the structure of sentences, discourse analysis
focuses on the broad and general use of language within and between particular groups of
people. Another important distinction is that while grammarians typically construct the
examples they analyze, the analysis of discourse relies on actual writings and speech of
the group being studied to determine popular usage.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

How is discourse analysis different from other methods?

In terms of textual analysis, grammarians may examine texts in isolation for elements
such as the art of persuasion or word choice (diction), but only discourse analysis
takes into account the social and cultural context of a given text.

In terms of verbal expression, discourse analysis takes in the colloquial, cultural, and
living use of language—including each and every "um," "er," and "you know," as well as
slips of the tongue, and awkward pauses. Grammar analysis, on the other hand, relies
entirely on sentence structure, word usage, and stylistic choices. This does, of course,
often include a cultural ingredient but it's missing the human element of spoken
discourse.

How to conduct discourse analysis?

Discourse analysis is a qualitative and interpretive method of analyzing texts (in
contrast to more systematic methods like content analysis). You make
interpretations based on both the details of the material itself and on contextual
knowledge.

There are many different approaches and techniques you can use to conduct
discourse analysis, but the steps below outline the basic steps you need to follow.

Step 1: Define the research question and select the content of analysis

To do discourse analysis, you begin with a clearly defined research question. Once you
have developed your question, select a range of material that is appropriate to answer
it. Discourse analysis is a method that can be applied both to large volumes of material
and to smaller samples, depending on the aims and timescale of your research.

Step 2: Gather information and theory on the context

Next, you must establish the social and historical context in which the material was
produced and intended to be received. Gather factual details of when and where the
content was created, who the author is, who published it, and whom it was disseminated
to.As well as understanding the real-life context of the discourse, you can also conduct a
literature review on the topic and construct a theoretical framework to guide your
analysis.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Step 3: Analyze the content for themes and patterns

This step involves closely examining various elements of the material – such as words,
sentences, paragraphs, and overall structure – and relating them to attributes, themes,
and patterns relevant to your research question.

Step 4: Review your results and draw conclusions

Once you have assigned particular attributes to elements of the material, reflect on your
results to examine the function and meaning of the language used. Here, you will consider
your analysis in relation to the broader context that you established earlier to draw
conclusions that answer your research question.

Instead of focusing on smaller units of language, such as sounds, words or phrases,

discourse analysis is used to study larger chunks of language, such as entire conversations,
texts, or collections of texts. The selected sources can be analyzed on multiple levels.

Level of communication What is analyzed?

Vocabulary Words and phrases can be analyzed for ideological associations,
formality, and euphemistic and metaphorical content.

Grammar The way that sentences are constructed (e.g. verb tenses, active
or passive construction, and the use of imperatives and
questions) can reveal aspects of intended meaning.

Structure The structure of a text can be analyzed for how it creates

emphasis or builds a narrative.

Texts can be analyzed in relation to the conventions and

Genre
communicative aims of their genre (e.g. political speeches or
tabloid newspaper articles).

Non-verbal Non-verbal aspects of speech, such as tone of voice, pauses,

communication gestures, and sounds like “um”, can reveal aspects of a speaker’s
intentions, attitudes, and emotions.

The interaction between people in a conversation, such as turn-

Conversational
taking, interruptions and listener response, can reveal aspects of
codes cultural conventions and social roles.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER
Presentation Slides
TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
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 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

My realizations after my discussion:

Having discussed this topic has given me a lot of insights in my pursuit and
hopes of finishing this course of study. Language, as we know it, is a
powerful tool. It can be used for different purposes: for communication and
aesthetic purposes. However, over time, people have been playing with
semantics to the point that we don't know "what's what?". Whenever I see
people exhibiting such playful behavior, people whose intent is to bring
confusion, I can't help but think to myself "Welcome to the age of spin!". To
prove the veracity of a point, and when I say veracity I meant this single
irrefutable meaning of an utterance, discourse analysis has to take place.

I am considering to take some further studies in Discourse Analysis to help

prevent and eradicate ourselves of unnecessary burden and confusion in
language use. Any language's flexibility is a feature that is at our disposal.
But the abuse of it defeats the truthful use of language and brings about
conflicts. Some people use it as a loophole or a technicality to get away
from any possible detriment they're bound to face. This is where I believe
conducting Discourse Analysis can be best utilized, for us to stop these
people from getting off the hook.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Self-reflection after taking the course

This subject has provided a comprehensive and fun learning experience of the
linguistic foundations of the English language. As an English major, it's
imperative that we show mastery in this field. The collective efforts of
everyone from this class, my group-mates, classmates and especially Doctor
Gordonas, allowed the deeper understanding of these foundations.

It's been years since I graduated from college. Taking this course was not
only a form of refresher but an exploration of the depths we haven't delved in
yet in our entire learning. Just like what happened with me after my
discussion of Discourse Analysis, I gained new insights. Same thing goes for
the rest of the topics covered in this term. I am grateful for how my
classmates put in the effort necessary to provide worthwhile, insightful, and
enlightening presentations even when subjects assigned to them can be
complicated to communicate. They indeed communicated them well. All of the
presentations were well done. However, I particularly like Ms. Guela's
presentation of Bloomfield's Behavioral Approach in Linguistics.

With Ms. Guela's well-articulated presentation, the intricacies of the subject

were addressed and communicated well leading to my ease of understanding
the topic. I personally sent her a message to commend her for her job well
done. If you're reading this, thank you Ms. Guela! I truly appreciate it.

Throughout the course, I've made some good friends. My group mates and I
established to some degree what I would consider a "closer" relationship. We
grew from mere acquaintances, who were obligated to deliver for a group
work, to individuals sharing thoughts and details relevant to our survival in
MAELT. In away, we agreed to become each other's support from the class in
the terms to come. For that, I am very happy.
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

I also am appreciative of Doctor Gordonas' teachings and support

this term. She's always considerate, encouraging and makes the
learning experience fun and resonating. I love the games she
incorporated in our class. I also am challenged by the IELTS
Listening test she made us experience at the conclusion of the
term. Now, we know what it is like. She's the one that brought up
pursuing a research in Discourse Analysis as she also finds it a
good topic to further explore. I don't know what the future
holds but right now, I am quite encouraged to go with that.

Thank you so much Doc G for your unending support. This has
been a meaningful learning we had with you. May you continue to
be the "breath of fresh air" by many of the students you'll have in
the future. God willing, I hope to see you in person to personally
thank you for the last two semesters I was in your class.
Looking forward to that!

The TESL 600 Class (2020-21 1st Semester)

 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

It's always a fun and fruitful

time learning with you
classmates and Doc G. Thank you
for all the lessons! May we
weather this storm! I hope to
see you all in person. Stay safe
and God bless you all. See you
around. - Karen Baya
 TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
|PORTFOLIO |A.Y. 2020-2021 | FIRST SEMESTER

Resources:
Nordquist, Richard. (2020, August 28). Definition and Examples of Syntax. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/syntax-grammar-1692182

Lou, A. (2020, June 19). What is discourse analysis? Scribbr.

https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/discourse-analysis/

What is linguistics and why study it? | The Department of Linguistics. (2017). Linguistics.
https://linguistics.arizona.edu/content/what-linguistics-and-why-study-it-0

Ladefoged, P. N. (2014, August 21). Phonetics. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/science/phonetics

Wagner, J. (n.d.). What is Phonology? - Introduction to Linguistics. Ielanguages.Com.

https://ielanguages.com/phonology.html

Nordquist, Richard. (2020, August 27). Pragmatics Gives Context to Language. Retrieved
from https://www.thoughtco.com/pragmatics-language-1691654
TESL 600: LINGUISTIC FOUNDATIONS
FOR SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING
AND TEACHING
PORTFOLIO|A.Y 2020-2021|
FIRST SEMESTER

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
OF THE PHILIPPINES
Sta. Mesa, Manila

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT IN

GRADUATE STUDIES SUBJECT TESL 600: LINGUISTIC
FOUNDATIONS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE
LEARNING AND TEACHING
E-PORTFOLIO

DR. ANNABELLE GORDONAS

PROFESSOR

KAREN TUBIO BAYA

MAELT