32 Language Variation
Chapter 7: Language Processing
Chapter Overview and Objectives
This chapter introduces students to several concepts related to the processing of spoken and
written language, including concepts from psycholinguistics and discourse analysis. After
reading this chapter, students should be able to
٪ Identify structures at the sentence level that affect comprehension.
٪ Use a readability formula to analyze a passage.
٪ Explain how schemata and scripts can enhance the comprehension and recall of a
Key Terms and Concepts
reaction time
inherent negative
agent
patient
nonreversible/reversible
heavy NP
readability formula
schemata
script
scene header
lexical cohesion
collocation
beneficiary
instrument
given-new information
Commentary on Chapter 7
Chapter 7 is the first of the applied chapters that form the second half of the text, so it is worth
explaining to students this slight change in orientation. Whereas Chapters 2-6 each dealt with
a different branch of linguistic theory, Chapters 7-13 each apply concepts from linguistic
theory to the language of a particular population or group of speakers. Therefore, concepts
from the first half of the book (especially Chapters 3-6) will recur throughout Chapters 7-13.
Suggested Answers to Exercises
Exercise A, p. 130
Exercise B, p. 131
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Exercise C, p. 132–133
1. a. They support it. Abolition and ban.
Exercise D, p. 134
1. a. † b. active
Exercise E, p. 135
1. a. †
Exercise F, p. 136
1. a. †
Exercise G, p. 137
1. STEP I: Given.
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Exercise H, p. 138
1. a. †
2. a. List of ingredients
List of any special utensils needed
Exercise I, p. 140
(Note: Students may find other examples in addition to these.)
1. REFERENCE: (it, their, her, She)
Exercise J, p. 141
1. a. agent = The Gomosaygiama Agency; patient = a new advertising campaign;
Exercise K, p. 143
1 AB 2. AC 3. CD
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Supplementary Exercises, pp. 145–146
1. a. adheres to active voice and to order of mention
b. puts the heavy NP at the end of the sentence
Exploratory Exercises, pp. 146–147
1. Spacing between words, capitalization, punctuation, and knowledge of the activity
described in the discourse (i.e., schemas). Note, too, that all one-, two-, and three-letter
36 Language Processing