Quebec Sec 5 ESL Enriched (136-520) flashcards

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

Functional adequacy

In oral interaction, the criterion measuring whether the message actually accomplishes the task (informing, persuading, requesting) with the partner, regardless of small grammatical errors.

Turn-taking formula

A three-step oral move: react to the partner's idea, add one new element of your own, then ask a question to return the floor. Prevents monologue-style answers.

Clarification gambit

A fixed phrase used to repair understanding, such as "Could you repeat that?" or "Do you mean ...?". Rated as strategic competence, not as a language error.

Negotiation of meaning

The exchange in which speakers check, reformulate, or paraphrase until they understand each other. In interaction scoring it counts as positive strategy use.

Tu versus vous decision

Register choice in French: tu and first names for peers and informal settings, vous and titles for older or higher-status interlocutors and formal role-plays.

Intelligibility focus

Oral pronunciation is rated on being understood and on targeted features such as word stress, final consonants, and question intonation, not on native-like accent.

Staying in role

In a role-play, reacting in character to the partner's unexpected lines scores higher than delivering long pre-learned stretches of speech.

Self-assessment before oral

Recording yourself against the unit's published criteria before the graded interaction, so the same criteria used for scoring guide your preparation.

Global then detailed listening

Standard listening order: first identify topic, purpose, speakers, and setting; then extract specific facts, figures, and attitudes in a second listening.

Discourse markers for key info

Signals such as however, in fact, the point is, first, finally. They announce that the speaker is stating the main idea or an important contrast.

Transcribe numbers and names

During listening, write down figures, dates, and proper nouns immediately, because they are the details most often requested and most often misheard.

Inferring attitude

Judging a speaker's tone from intonation, stress, and hesitation markers like well, actually, or to be honest, not only from the literal words.

Reinvestment defined

Reusing the content and form of an oral or written text in a new task, such as a summary or personal response, reworded rather than copied.

Note-taking shorthand

Abbreviations, symbols (arrows, equals, plus, not-equals), and keywords only. Writing full sentences while listening reduces comprehension of the rest.

Fact versus opinion

A distinction required in reinvestment: opinions carry evaluative adjectives and modals such as should, must, or probably; facts are verifiable statements.

Reinvestment content minimum

A reinvestment task must state the source's main idea plus at least two supporting details, expressed in your own words.

Three reading movements

Skim for gist and text type, scan for specific information, then read closely only the paragraphs that contain the answer.

Text type strategy

Recognizing whether a text is a news article, opinion letter, advertisement, or instruction sheet, since each has different structure and reliability markers.

Context clue inference

Guessing an unknown word's meaning from definition clues, examples, contrasts, or word families before turning to a dictionary.

Dictionary part of speech

A dictionary entry must match the word's grammatical role in the sentence; the same spelling can have several unrelated meanings.

Cohesion markers

Connectors that signal logic: cause (because, therefore), contrast (although, whereas), addition (moreover), concession (admittedly). They guide comprehension.

Reference tracking

Identifying what pronouns and phrases like it, this, the former, or the latter point back to across sentences in a long text.

Author purpose and audience

A standard reinvestment question: identify why the text was written (inform, persuade, instruct) and for whom, using tone and format as evidence.

Quoting versus copying

Short exact quotations in quotation marks are acceptable; copying whole sentences is not reinvestment and loses marks on the reading task.

Textual justification

Supporting each reading answer with a specific line or passage from the text; an answer without textual support is treated as a guess.

Written text organization

Scored structure: title or subject line, opening stating purpose, logically ordered body paragraphs, and a closing matching the purpose.

Cohesion in writing

Linking sentences with connectors and clear pronoun reference. Correct sentences with no linking devices lose points on organization.

Register and format match

Informal email uses contractions and friendly closings; formal message uses full forms, titles, and no slang. Format must fit the task.

Accuracy check order

Proofread in this sequence: verb tense and agreement, subject-verb agreement, plural and possessive endings, word order, then spelling.

Sentence variety rule

Combine short sentences with because, although, which, or when. A text made only of simple sentences caps the range score.

Task requirements first

Reread for completeness (all prompts answered, word count respected) before checking grammar; missing content costs more than small errors.

Vocabulary range versus accuracy

Range is shown by precise topic words and paraphrase, not rare words used wrongly; an incorrect advanced word counts against accuracy.