Deck 7: Writing and Literacy

Question 1

The theory that asserts that literacy is a set of habitual behaviors exercised in specific contexts is the

A)ideological approach.
B)autonomous approach.
C)contextual approach.
D)practice approach.

Answer 1

practice approach.

Question 2

In a writing system, w hich of the following is a sign that help s to s eparate different words that might be pronounced similarl y?

A)phonetic indicator
B)phonetic determinative
C)semantic indicator
D)semantic determinative

Answer 2

semantic determinative

Question 3

Which of the following refers to a graphic mark that represents one or more of the sounds of language ?

A)phonetic sign
B)semantic sign
C)pedantic sign
D)reflexive sign

Answer 3

phonetic sign

Question 4

Which of the following uses combinations of logographic and syllabic signs?

A)logographic writing
B)alphabetic writing
C)logosyllabic writing
D)syllabic writing

Question 5

According to the autonomous approach theorists, an oral way of thinking is characterized by which of the following kinds of thinking?

A)abstract
B)skeptical and inquiring
C)objectively distanced
D)memory-based

Question 6

The autonomous approach to literacy assumes that once you master the technology of reading, you should be able to

A)decode the meaning of any piece of writing unambiguously.
B)decode a piece of writing in context only.
C)discover alternate meanings in a piece of writing.
D)read additional background into a piece of writing.

Question 7

A unit of writing that is surrounded by white space on a page is called a

A)grapheme.
B)phoneme.
C)lexeme.
D)morpheme.

Question 8

Which of the following uses graphic signs to represent words, or the ideas associated with words? For example, the graphic sign "2" represents the English word two.

A)syllabic writing
B)rebus writing
C)logographic writing
D)pictographic "writing"

Question 9

Which statement is true of writing?

A)It has been shown to have no effect on perception of language.
B)It has very little political value in the twenty-first century.
C)It is a basic language skill that all seeing people will naturally learn.
D)It is a secondary language skill that usually requires explicit teaching to learn.

Question 10

The process of getting words onto paper is called

A)entextualization.
B)research on literacy inspired by Hymes ethnography of speaking.
C)a Whorfian approach that focuses on the consequences of literacy.
D)one branch of the autonomous approach to literacy.

Question 11

In a syllabary, each symbol is expected to stand for a distinct

A)consonant.
B)vowel.
C)syllable.
D)concept.

Question 12

Which of the following uses a single picture to represent two or more words that sound the same? For example, a picture of the sun represents both the English words son and sun .

A)L337 speak
B)rebus writing
C)logographic writing
D)pictographic "writing"

Question 13

Which of the following is an ancient record-keeping system that used a system of knots tied into strings?

A)cornelian binding
B)clove hitching
C)khipus
D)cuneiform

Question 14

In a writing system, w hich of the following is a sign that help s to suggest related words that are pronounced differently?

A)phonetic indicator
B)phonetic determinative
C)semantic indicator
D)semantic determinative

Question 15

Which of the following uses graphic signs to represent individual consonants and vowels?

A)alphabetic writing
B)logosyllabic writing
C)syllabic writing
D)ideographic writing

Question 16

Which of the following refers to a graphic mark that represents a specific idea or meaning?

A)phonetic sign
B)semantic sign
C)pedantic sign
D)reflexive sign

Question 17

The theoretical approach to literacy that defines it as a technology that you can learn to use is called the

A)automatic approach.
B)autonomous approach.
C)alphabetic approach.
D)practice approach.

Question 18

The angle brackets placed around a word indicate that

A)a writing system and not a phonetic transcription system is in use.
B)this is a case of phonetic transcription using the IPA.
C)allophone rules may be disregarded in pronouncing this word.
D)the word in question is a lexeme.

Question 19

A written language in which each lexeme takes up exactly the same space as every other lexeme is

A)Arabic.
B)English.
C)Chinese.
D)Russian.

Question 20

A language that is written from right to left is

A)Arabic.
B)English.
C)Chinese.
D)Japanese.

Question 21

The Mayan writing system was

A)logographic.
B)syllabic.
C)logosyllabic.
D)a combination of logographic, syllabic, and logosyllabic strategies.

Question 22

Give an example of a common lexeme in English, which includes both phonetic and semantic signs.  Identify which sign(s)is/are phonetic and which is/are semantic.

Question 23

According to linguistic anthropologist Bambi Schieffelin, the introduction of a missionary-developed writing system to the Kaluli of New Guinea has resulted in a shift in

A)fishing techniques.
B)gardening techniques.
C)approaches to maintaining good health.
D)communicative practices and social stratification.

Question 24

Describe the difference between linear and multimodal reading and writing.  Give an example of each type.

Question 25

Linguistic anthropologist Shirley Brice Heath, in her study of literacy events in a small city US southeast, discovered

A)no significant difference in reading and writing between the communities studied.
B)clear evidence that most parents in some communities were functionally illiterate.
C)different communities approach reading in very different ways.
D)learning to read and write gave students a very different perspective on language.

Question 26

Attempts at standardizing spelling often get tangled up in attempts to standardize pronunciation.

Question 27

According to linguistic anthropologist Shirley Brice Heath, occasions in which individuals attempt to read and/or write are called

A)round robins.
B)public writing.
C)blogging.
D)literacy events.

Question 28

When there are multiple dialects in a region, establishing a standardized writing system ends up legitimizing one of those dialects at the expense of the others.

Question 29

The expectations that people in power have about literacy and its consequences can affect other peoples' access to status and power.

Question 30

Languages that developed and evolved without writing systems, such as Bantu languages, do not have abstract nouns.

Question 31

Whether or not a group of people "has" writing is always clear-cut and undisputed.

Question 32

Identify two key differences between the autonomous approach to literacy and the practice approach to literacy.

Question 33

Describe the fundamental flaw inherent in the creation of the "Cosmic Postcard" included on the Pioneer 10 space vessel. Identify the ideological factors that result in this flaw.

Question 34

No writing system is a perfect representation of speech.

Question 35

Efforts to standardize the spelling of a language

A)are apolitical, and generally only of interest to linguists.
B)reveal the language ideology of the standardizers.
C)inevitably result in improvements appreciated by all users of the language.
D)are completely separate from standardization of pronunciation