A
accuracy: Grammatical and lexical correctness. Accuracy practice is intended to promote this. Compare fluency.

achievement: Reaching the objectives of a lesson, unit, or course. An achievement test is intended to evaluate this.

acquiring/acquisition: Picking up a language subconsciously by using it to communicate, e.g. immigrants mostly acquire their new language through daily use.

active vocabulary: Words learners are able to use in their speech and writing. Contrast passive vocabulary.

activity: Something learners do in order to promote learning or acquisition, e.g. a speaking activity or a reading comprehension activity.

aid: Support for teaching, e.g. pictures, cassette player, video.

antonym: Word opposite in meaning to another word, e.g. 'big' is an antonym of 'small'.

approach: Way of teaching based on ideas about language, learning, and teaching. See also method.

autonomy: See independence.

B
backwash effect
How tests influence teaching and studying, e.g. grammar tests can have a negative backwash effect on teachers and learners in communicative courses.

C
cognate
Word with a similar form and meaning in two different languages, e.g. 'doctor' is a cognate in most languages.

communication/communicative
Related to purposeful transfer of information or ideas, e.g. in the classroom, questions and answers like 'How many windows are there?' 'There are two', is not communicative; but talking about restaurants in the learners' city may be.

connotation
Secondary meaning, often either positive or negative, e.g. 'skinny' means thin, but it has a negative connotation - 'thin and unattractive'.

construct validity
A test has construct validity when it contains only tasks like those used in teaching the course.

content validity
A test has content validity when it tests only what has been taught.

context
What surrounds something, e.g. 'It is hard' may mean 'It is difficult' or 'It is rigid' according to the context of the sentence. We also talk of a teaching context.

cue
Something teachers do or use to elicit language from learners, e.g. asking questions and showing pictures can both be effective cues in a drill.

D
discourse
Language in communicative use. Conversation is the commonest form of discourse.

drill/drilling
Repetitive teacher-controlled form of practice. See also substitution practice and pattern.