VCE Karen key terms

The overall meaning or main point of a spoken text, which you can usually state in one or two sentences without repeating every detail you heard.

A single piece of information in a text, such as a name, number, time, place or reason, which a question may ask you to identify, record or explain.

A conclusion you draw by combining clues in the text with your own knowledge, rather than by finding the answer stated openly in words.

The level of formality in language, ranging from relaxed everyday speech to careful formal speech, shown by word choice, grammar and terms of address.

The way a speaker's voice rises and falls across a phrase, signalling a question, surprise, annoyance or that a turn in the conversation is finished.

A pitch pattern that is part of a word itself. Karen is a tonal language, so hearing the pitch wrongly can give you a completely different word.

Two words that sound almost the same but differ in one feature, such as tone or a consonant, and therefore carry different meanings.

A category of material you might hear, such as a conversation, interview, announcement, phone message, radio report or story, each with typical structure and language.

A short word or phrase that shows how a speaker is organising ideas, for example signalling an addition, a contrast, a return to an earlier point or an ending.

Writing brief key words, symbols or abbreviations while you listen so that you can answer questions accurately after the recording stops; notes need not be full sentences.

Information in a text that sounds like the answer but is later corrected, contradicted or shown to concern something else, tempting you to answer wrongly.

Reading quickly through a text to grasp its topic, shape and general meaning before answering questions that need closer attention to detail.

Running your eyes quickly over a text to find one particular item, such as a date, name or key word, without reading every line.

A category of writing with its own layout and conventions, for example a personal letter, notice, news report, diary entry, poem or traditional story.

A word, phrase or grammatical link that ties sentences together so a text holds as a whole, such as connectors, pronouns and repeated key words.

Information in the words, sentence or paragraph around an unfamiliar word that helps you work out its meaning without reaching for a dictionary.

The reason a writer produced a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, warn or invite, which shapes the vocabulary, tone and structure chosen.

The way a writer builds a person in a story through description, actions, speech and other characters' reactions, letting readers judge personality and motives.

The central idea a text explores, such as family duty, loss, respect for elders or leaving home, usually revealed through events rather than stated outright.

The time and place in which a story happens, including the social world of the characters, which can shape mood and explain their choices.

The alphabet used to write Karen, adapted from the Burmese script in the nineteenth century; it is written from left to right and uses letters with extra marks.

A word placed between a number and a noun when counting or measuring, chosen according to the kind of object, as in Karen and many neighbouring languages.

A small word carrying grammatical meaning such as question, negation, emphasis or time, rather than naming a thing or an action; Karen uses these frequently.

The usual arrangement of subject, verb and object in a sentence. Karen normally puts the subject first, then the verb, then the object.

A word such as I, you, we or they that stands in place of a noun group; the correct choice depends on person, number and who is speaking to whom.

A word formed by joining two or more existing words, as happens often in Karen; its meaning is sometimes, but not always, predictable from the parts.

Marks that show where sentences and clauses start and stop, and how they relate, helping a reader follow the writer's meaning without hearing a voice.

Restating a sentence or idea in different words while keeping the meaning; exam questions often paraphrase the text instead of quoting it word for word.

A mention of a practice, festival, place, belief or well-known figure that Karen speakers would recognise, and that may need explaining to an outsider.

The readers a piece of writing is intended for, such as a friend, teacher, editor or younger child; this decides how formal and detailed you should be.

The features expected in a particular kind of writing, such as a greeting and sign-off in a letter, a headline in a report, or a moral at the end of a story.

A first complete version of a piece of writing, made before you review and improve it; good answers often plan, draft and check within the time allowed.

Going over a draft to correct spelling, grammar, word choice and punctuation, and to improve clarity and order before producing the final copy.

The accepted way of writing the words of a language, covering spelling, letter shapes and any marks used; accurate spelling helps a reader and earns credit.

A group of sentences developing one main idea, usually opened by a topic sentence and set apart visually so a reader can follow the shape of the writing.

A word or phrase such as however, therefore, first or finally that shows the link between ideas and joins sentences and paragraphs smoothly.

The polite titles, pronouns and set phrases used when writing to someone older, more senior or unknown, compared with the relaxed language used for friends.

The stated number of words a writing task expects; going far above or below it can cost marks, since quality of content is what is assessed.