Deck 5: Language: Barrier and Bridge

Question 1

Studies have found that females use as much powerful language as males.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

"You" language is the language of responsibility.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Naming has no impact on our identity.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Using "I" language is egotistical.

Question 5

Javier moves to a new school and wants to fit in with the other kids. He starts using the slang the other kids are using. This is referred to as speech accommodation.

Question 6

Emotive words sound like statements of fact, but they're typically opinions.

Question 7

"Grace is short-tempered" is an example of static evaluation.

Question 8

Inferential statements are interpretations of behaviour.

Question 9

An example of man-linked language would be "men's washroom."

Question 10

Alice Stanley discussed the use of the word "bitch," and concluded by stating the word is never appropriate, in any circumstance.

Question 11

Syntactic rules are rules that govern the way symbols can be arranged, as opposed to the meanings of those symbols.

Question 12

Sign language is symbolic in nature.

Question 13

Research demonstrated that male day-care teachers' speech to their students resembles the language of female teachers more closely than it resembles the language of fathers at home.

Question 14

Relative words gain their meaning from comparison.

Question 15

Equivocal words are words that can be interpreted in more than one way.

Question 16

"I'm not very hungry" is an example of an intensifier.

Question 17

Linguistic relativism is a notion that holds that our language exerts a strong influence on our perceptions.

Question 18

Canada is a high-context language culture.

Question 19

Xaoling just finished medical school and wants to demonstrate that he is a competent doctor. As a result, he uses a lot of jargon with his patients. This is known as divergence.

Question 20

"I'm kinda disappointed . . ." is an example of a hesitation.

Question 21

The best way to move down the abstraction ladder when someone confronts you with vague language is to look up the confusing words in a dictionary and put them into your own words.

Question 22

Words such as "lady lawyer," "female doctor," and "woman minister" are part of inclusive language terminology.

Question 23

Language is symbolic.

Question 24

According to the textbook, women need same-sex conversations more than men do.

Question 25

Abstract language is specific in nature.

Question 26

Which of the following describes the highest-level abstraction?

A)complaining about chores
B)complaining about my housekeeping
C)telling me to wash the dishes
D)reminding me about chores, I haven't done

Question 27

Semantic rules are more powerful than an individual's personal meaning for words.

Question 28

One key to more accurate use of language is to avoid assuming that others interpret words the same way we do.

Question 29

There are between 20 and 50 different Indigenous languages spoken throughout Canada.

Question 30

"Thanks for helping," is an example of behavioural language.

Question 31

Which statement is an inference?

A)"You didn't call me yesterday."
B)"You don't care about me."
C)"You are late."
D)"Thanks for agreeing to babysit."

Question 32

What is Canada's third most frequently spoken mother tongue?

A)Chinese
B)French
C)German
D)Spanish

Question 33

A perfectly worded "I" statement delivered with total sincerity will ensure that the other person will not get defensive.

Question 34

"You don't care about me" is an example of inference.
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Question 35

There are a few advantages to using a deferential language style.

Question 36

Asking questions may be a way to avoid making a declaration of what you want or feel.

Question 37

According to research, women talk more than men.

Question 38

An "it" statement is an unconscious way to avoid taking a position on something.

Question 39

Canadian researcher Colleen Reid's work showed that emotive labels could also result in disagreeable consequences, as she discovered that women living in poverty were often referred to as "welfare cases" and "bad mothers."

Question 40

Which statement best describes the idea of maleness as a standard?

A)Businesses prefer to hire men over women as their standard hiring practice.
B)A popular television show highlights "woman doctors" as opposed to only "doctors."
C)Men, as a standard, hold more power than women in society.
D)In some occupations, it is standard that they are dominated by men.

Question 41

Which term refers to language that appears to describe something but really announces the speaker's positive or negative attitude toward it?

A)inference
B)irresponsible language
C)emotive language
D)deferential language

Question 42

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks." What is this statement an example of?

A)directness
B)self-confusion
C)self-fulfilling prophecy
D)stereotyping

Question 43

How do men and women's conversational styles differ?

A)Men ask more questions.
B)Men's speech is more direct.
C)Men use more contradictions.
D)Women use more judgmental language.

Question 44

Which rule governs the meaning of language, as opposed to its structure?

A)equivocal words
B)semantic rules
C)relative language
D)abstract language

Question 45

What is likely to happen when people use language that is too powerful?

A)They may get what they are seeking in the long term.
B)They may alienate the other person in the relationship.
C)They may strengthen their relationship with the other person.
D)They may enhance their communicative effectiveness.

Question 46

"Canadians love hockey." What is this statement an example of?

A)confusing self-talk
B)equivocation
C)self-fulfilling prophecy
D)stereotyping

Question 47

Kelly tells her friends she loves her new volunteer position. "Each day, I get to help Mrs. Chan, a senior citizen who is crippled, spend time at the local park and enjoy the benefits." What language sensitivity concerns may be raised as a result of Kelly's comment?

A)ageist language
B)national origin
C)heterosexist language
D)disabilities language

Question 48

Which statement best illustrates stereotyping?

A)Old people get dementia.
B)Women comprise less than 10 percent of that population.
C)Disabled workers claim over $1 million per year in benefits.
D)Forty percent of the wealthiest people in the U.S.give 20 percent of their income to charity.

Question 49

Which statement best summarizes the problem with "it" statements?

A)They are always positive.
B)They attribute ownership to some unidentified source.
C)They are unclear.
D)They blame the other person.

Question 50

In the "'I' and 'You' Language on the Job" communication transcript in your text, what was Rebecca able to accomplish in her confrontation with Tom?

A)She got a commitment from him to not leave the office as frequently.
B)She got a commitment from him to tell her how long he would be away each time he left the office.
C)She let him know how she felt about his absences without attacking him.
D)She was able to work out a schedule that allowed them both to be away from the office at different times.

Question 51

"When you left without saying where you were going, I felt confused and so I went to the park on my own." What is missing from this "I" statement?

A)a description of the other person's behaviour
B)a description of the speaker's feelings
C)a description of the consequences that the other person's behaviour has for the speaker
D)a description of the speaker's interpretation of the other person's behaviour

Question 52

Which statement contains a hedge?

A)"Well, we could go to the movies."
B)"I would sort of like to go to the movies."
C)"Going to the movies wouldn't be a bad idea, would it?"
D)"My heart's not set on it, but we could go to the movie."

Question 53

Which of the following is the least abstract definition of a successful college experience?

A)the ability to contribute to society
B)a better understanding of Western civilization
C)completion of the requirements listed on page 24 of the college catalogue with an average of 75 percent or higher
D)the ability to express oneself clearly, understand principles of the arts and sciences, and have some expertise in a chosen field of study

Question 54

What are "piece" and "peace" an example of?

A)equivocal words
B)relative words
C)reappraisal language
D)semantic rules

Question 55

What characteristic is present in cultures that prize succinctness in language?

A)Silence is valued.
B)Vocabulary is limited.
C)Verbal fluency is admired.
D)More than one language is spoken.

Question 56

Which term refers to the tendency to view people or relationships as unchanging?

A)static evaluation
B)emotive language
C)semantics
D)reappraisal language

Question 57

You think Dave, a personal trainer at the gym, is "egotistical." Your friend thinks he has a lot of "self-confidence." What is the cause of your disagreement about Dave?

A)emotive language
B)linguistic determinism
C)punctuation
D)relative terms

Question 58

Dr. Helen is a couples' therapist and has been working with Martin and Maria for almost three months. They have been working toward enhancing their communication skills. The latest session focuses on language that can build a constructive climate; a feeling of being "in this together." Which type of statements will be the session's focus?

A)"you" statements
B)"I" statements
C)"us" statements
D)"we" statements

Question 59

Jennifer is a family therapist, and she wants to help a family she is working with improve their ability to express their feelings to each other. Which of the following would Jennifer focus on?

A)"you" statements
B)"I" statements
C)"us" statements
D)"we" statements

Question 60

When is making an inference a reasonable thing to do in interpersonal communication?

A)when the other person understands you
B)when you wait for the other to infer also
C)when you identify the inference to the other person
D)when you first describe the fact that led to the inference

Question 61

Which term refers to words that gain their meaning through comparison?

A)equivocal words
B)convergence
C)semantic discordance
D)relative words

Question 62

Which of the following is the problem with "you" language?

A)They are always negative.
B)They attribute ownership to some unidentified source.
C)They are unclear.
D)They imply a judgment of another person.

Question 63

I often refer to my three colleagues as "an uptight team." What am I using that might cause a misunderstanding?

A)emotive words
B)equivocal words
C)reappraisal wording
D)pragmatic wording

Question 64

What do the syntactic rules of language govern?

A)the words that become slang
B)the way that semanticists create meaning
C)how symbols can be arranged
D)how speakers respond to symbols

Question 65

You are in your criminology course, and you notice that the professor uses only the terms "them," "they," "their," and "everyone" when addressing the class. According to your textbook, what is the professor doing?

A)providing convergence
B)using gender-neutral pronouns
C)differentiating
D)excluding man-linked language

Question 66

Which term refers to words that have more than one dictionary definition?

A)equivocal words
B)convergent
C)relative words
D)semantic equivalents

Question 67

How are men's and women's use of language similar?

A)They both talk about similar topics.
B)They both use about the same level of direct speech.
C)They both speak about the same number of words each day.
D)They both use about the same amount of supportive comments.

Question 68

You are listening to a podcast, and the narrator is describing a "male geriatric patient" who did not receive proper care from the health care system. What language sensitivity concern does this comment raise?

A)ageist language
B)man-linked language
C)heterosexist language
D)sexist language

Question 69

In which of the following statements is the use of a "we" statement most appropriate?

A)"We have a problem here."
B)"What are we going to do about this issue?"
C)"We aren't doing a very good job of keeping the place clean, are we?"
D)"I think that we need to talk to Stephanie.'

Question 70

You ask for a small piece of cake but get a piece twice as large as you expected. What caused this semantic problem?

A)equivocal words
B)convergence language
C)relative words
D)semantic discordance

Question 71

Which of the following indicates a speaker's willingness to take responsibility for his/her thoughts or feelings?

A)"I" vs."we" or "you"
B)"it" vs."his"
C)"his" or "her" vs."their"
D)singular vs.plural terms

Question 72

Which of the following will you find in a low-context language culture?

A)much use of silence
B)much self-expression
C)indirect expression of opinions
D)less reliance on explicit verbal messages

Question 73

Jack told his friend Maurice that he was "kinda disappointed" that he was not able to join him for the hockey game last night. What type of deferential language did Jack use?

A)disclaimer
B)hedge
C)hesitation
D)accommodation

Question 74

What is the process of adapting one's speech style to match that of others with whom the communicator wants to identify?

A)convergence
B)divergence
C)differentiation
D)accommodation

Question 75

"When you didn't let me know you weren't coming to the planning meeting, I felt that you weren't interested in providing input, and that forced me to go ahead without you." What is missing from this "I" statement?

A)a description of the other person's behaviour
B)a description of the speaker's feelings
C)a description of the consequences that the other person's behaviour has for the speaker
D)a description of the speaker's interpretation of the other person's behaviour

Question 76

Which statement best describes cultures that stress formality in language?

A)People talk less.
B)There are fewer close relationships.
C)Language use defines a social position.
D)Using correct grammar is the most important.

Question 77

Which term refers to a range of more to less abstract terms describing an event or object?

A)abstract language
B)abstraction ladder
C)abstraction evaluation
D)abstract words

Question 78

What do people who practise convergence in their speech hope to achieve?

A)affiliation and acceptance with a group
B)agreement on a critical issue
C)resolution of a conflict
D)unity within a group

Question 79

Which of the following is the least abstract?

A)iPhone
B)2020 red Apple iPhone
C)red iPhone
D)reliable cell phone

Question 80

Which statement is a fact?

A)"You shouldn't have said that."
B)"I heard you say you weren't interested."
C)"Fact number one: you are stupid."
D)"It's a fact that using the tone of voice you did always backfires."