Tyler Used His Knowledge of Phonics to Determine the Word

question 12

Short Answer

Tyler used his knowledge of phonics to determine the word what. He used the short /a/ sound for the vowel, and the word he formed did not sound exactly like what. Instead, Tyler's pronunciation rhymed with the word cat. However, he was able to infer the correct word what from his approximation. Chen, an English-language learner, was not able to make these types of approximations. Explain why ELLs may have more difficulty obtaining an approximate pronunciation for words that do not follow regular generalization rules.

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Definitions:

Golden Parachutes

Large financial compensation packages agreed upon by a company and its top executives, which are triggered if the executive is terminated as a result of a merger or takeover.

Generous Compensation

A form of payment or reward given, typically above the average or expected amount, acknowledging someone's work or contribution.

Takeover

The acquisition of one company by another, either through a friendly acquisition or hostile bid.

Greenmail

A strategy where a company buys back its own shares from a hostile party at a premium to avoid a takeover.