SACE Stage 2 Karen (continuers) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Karenic branch

The subgroup of the Sino-Tibetan family containing Karen languages such as Sgaw and Pwo, distinct from the Tai-Kadai family that includes Thai.

Sgaw and Pwo

The two largest Karen languages; they belong to the same branch but are not mutually intelligible, so materials must specify which variety is used.

Tonal language

A language in which pitch contour on a syllable changes meaning; Karen languages are tonal, so tone must be marked or imitated accurately.

Monosyllabic tendency

The pattern in which most Karen morphemes are single syllables, with meaning built by combining syllables rather than by inflecting word endings.

SVO word order

The Sgaw Karen sentence pattern of subject then verb then object, which determines where the actor and the affected item appear.

Noun modifier position

In Karen, adjectives and possessive words generally follow the noun they describe, the reverse of normal English ordering.

Karen script origins

The modern Karen writing system was modelled on Burmese script in the nineteenth century, replacing an earlier separate syllabic writing tradition.

Karen settlement areas

Karen communities live across Myanmar, especially Kayin and Kayah States and the delta, and in western Thailand, so no single homeland applies.

Wrist-tying ceremony

A Karen ritual in which cotton threads are tied on the wrist to mark welcome, blessing, or recovery, practised across several Karen communities.

Bamboo xylophone

A percussion instrument of tuned bamboo tubes associated with Karen communities and often cited as a marker of Karen musical tradition.

Religious diversity

Karen communities include Buddhist, Christian, and animist traditions, so general statements about Karen belief must name the community concerned.

Woven tunic patterns

Distinctive woven designs on Karen tunics that vary by subgroup and region and are used as visual markers of identity.

Loanwords from Thai

Karen spoken in Thailand has borrowed Thai vocabulary through long contact, so some everyday terms have both a Karen and a Thai form.

Oral tradition

Karen cultural knowledge is carried in sung poetry, story, and proverb, so oral texts are primary sources for cultural inquiry.

Communication first

The examination marking principle that conveying the intended meaning in simple Karen scores above ambitious language that makes the message unclear.

Text type conventions

Required features of a prescribed format such as a letter, article, diary, or speech, including greeting, register, and closing, which are separately assessed.

Reading detail question

A question asking for information stated in the passage; the answer must come from the text rather than from the reader's own opinion.

Inference question

A question asking what the passage implies rather than states; the answer must still be supported by evidence in the text.

Listening note-taking

Recording key nouns, numbers, and names while audio plays a limited number of times, rather than attempting full sentences.

Oral fluency criterion

The oral assessment element judging smoothness and pronunciation, marked separately from vocabulary range and grammatical accuracy.

Translation by meaning

Rendering an idiomatic Karen expression by its English sense rather than word for word, since marks are awarded for meaning transfer.

Variety consistency

Staying within the Karen variety used by the examination prompt, Sgaw or Pwo, instead of mixing forms from both in one response.

Extended writing criteria

The three scoring strands for longer responses: task fulfilment, organisation of ideas, and accuracy and range of language.

Planning before writing

Deciding paragraph order and key content before drafting, which protects the organisation criterion in extended writing tasks.

Register

The level of formality suited to the audience and text type, such as formal address in a letter to an official versus informal diary wording.

Task fulfilment

The criterion checking that every element of the prompt, such as audience, purpose, and required points, has been addressed in the response.

Word limit discipline

Respecting the stated length for a response, since material beyond the limit may not be credited and can weaken organisation.

Number and date accuracy

Transcribing figures and dates exactly in listening and reading answers, as near-misses are usually marked wrong rather than partially correct.

Unfamiliar vocabulary strategy

Using surrounding context and known word parts to infer an unknown Karen word instead of stopping, since global meaning is what is assessed.

Script accuracy

Correct formation of Karen letters and tone or vowel marks, which supports readability and is reflected in the language accuracy criterion.

Cultural reference in writing

Using a specific, accurate cultural detail, such as naming a ceremony or instrument, to support a point rather than listing generalisations.

Question instruction language

The wording that signals the required response form, such as explain, list, or compare, and determines how much detail earns marks.