Deck 8: Official English; American Sign Language; Pidgins and Creoles in the United States

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT true regarding the legal case, Meyer v. Nebraska?

A) It is often cited in discussions challenging the constitutionality of Official English legislation
B) The law was originally upheld by the Nebraska State Supreme Court, thus upholding the ideology behind making English the official language
C) It concerns the case of a parochial school instructor who was convicted of teaching a collection of Bible stories in German
D) The ruling was overturned in 1923 when the U.S. Supreme Court held that the law was in conflict with the 14th Amendment, stating that: "The protection of the Constitution extends to all, to those who speak other languages as well as to those born with English on the tongue"
E) The outcome of the ruling was that German bilingual schools were regularly reinstated throughout Nebraska and the mid-west in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s

Answer 1

E

Question 2

What do the general debates surrounding bilingual ballots and English as the official language tell us about the connection between English and an American identity?

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Which of the following is TRUE about the development, history, and/or structure of American Sign Language?

A) ASL is primarily a gestured version of American English
B) Like all signed systems, ASL does not have a phonological system
C) Deaf culture includes deaf people, their friends, and their family, and the community is unified through the shared use of ASL
D) ASL, French Sign Language, and British Sign Language share a majority of their vocabulary, demonstrating that most sign languages are based on iconic signals
E) The introduction of Darwinian evolutionary theory contributed to the perception of ASL as an advanced form of communication; thus, ASL has always been considered the best form of language for those who are hard of hearing

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true about the development, history, and/or structure of Creole languages in the United States?

A) Creole languages generally develop from pidgins via the process known as creolization
B) Some linguists posit that African American English originally developed as a Creole language
C) Both Gullah and Louisiana Creole languages grew out of similar historical historic circumstances (the African slave trade), but have different superstrates
D) During the development of American Creole languages, languages that became superstrates were more functional and had more advanced vocabularies
E) Much of the lexicon of Gullah came from English

Question 5

With regard to pidgins, what is a superstrate?

A) The language of the socially dominant speakers in a language contact situation
B) The language of the socially dominated (or less dominant) speakers in a language contact situation
C) The stage of development from a pidgin to a creole
D) The primary source for the pidgin's sound structure
E) The primary source for the pidgin's grammar

Question 6

Which of the following is the superstrate for Hawaiian Creole?

A) French
B) English
C) Filipino
D) Chinese
E) Hawaiian

Question 7

Compare and contrast the following linguistic systems: pidgins, creoles, and lingua francas.

Question 8

Linguistically as well as socially, compare and contrast a creole and a pidgin.