Question 1

There is a Facebook group called, "Prescriptive grammar is just a tool for oppressing the sub-elite." Which of the following statements would its members likely agree with?

Accepted Answer

A)   Language change is decay
B)   Dictionaries are the only appropriate authority on language
C)   Standardization is a social process, not a natural part of language
D)   Language mavens are the only appropriate authority on language
E)   Variation in language is a social process, not a natural part of language C

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT true about standardization?

Accepted Answer

A)   It is a social process that is actively constructed
B)   It is a natural linguistic process that all non-primitive languages eventually go through
C)   It is considered to be abstract and ideological since no language can be 100% standardized
D)   The sub-process of elaboration refers to the expansion of the codified variety into different areas of use, such as government and education
E)   Key reasons for standardizing a language include eliminating linguistic variation for ease of communication B

Question 3

Explain how dictionaries, like the OED, are examples of both prescriptive and descriptive views of language.

Accepted Answer

Dictionaries, like the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), can be seen as examples of both prescriptive and descriptive views of language. On one hand, dictionaries are prescriptive in that they aim to provide a standard or "correct" form of language usage. They often include definitions, spellings, and pronunciations that are considered to be the most widely accepted or authoritative. This prescriptive approach can be seen in the OED's efforts to document and define the "correct" meanings and usage of words.

On the other hand, dictionaries also reflect a descriptive view of language by documenting how language is actually used in practice. They include words and meanings that have evolved over time, as well as regional variations and slang terms. The OED, for example, includes historical usage examples and traces the development of words and their meanings over time, providing a descriptive account of how language has been used in the past.

In this way, dictionaries like the OED can be seen as a combination of both prescriptive and descriptive views of language. They aim to provide a standard reference for language usage while also reflecting the ever-changing nature of language in use.

Question 4

Which of the following statements fits into a descriptive view of language?

Accepted Answer

A)   Every language has a standard dialect that should be aspired to
B)   Languages can be divided into "primitive" and "advanced" systems
C)   Language change is not synonymous with language decay
D)   Some languages are not as structurally complex as others
E)   Regional dialects, because of the ways they develop, are more natural than social dialects

Question 5

Which of the following is an accurate statement about standard language ideology (SLI)?

Accepted Answer

A)   Standard language ideology was developed as a legal response to the Oakland Ebonics controversy
B)   Standard language ideology can be defined as a bias towards an idealized, abstracted, non-varying spoken language
C)   All immigrant groups are subjected to the same requirements by standard language ideology
D)   Standard language ideology is primarily concerned with upholding descriptive views of language
E)   According to the standard language ideology, the receiver of the communication should shoulder most of the communicative burden

Question 6

Which of the following dichotomies best describes the linguistic differences between the following two statements: i. The park man to the drove silently yesterday ii. The man drove silently to the park yesterday

Accepted Answer

A)   Authority vs. Identity
B)   Standard vs. Non-standard
C)   Grammatical vs. Ungrammatical
D)   Conceptual meaning vs. Associative meaning
E)   Regional vs. Social

Question 7

Which of the following is not one of the sub-processes of standardization?

Accepted Answer

A)   Codification
B)   Reception
C)   Elaboration
D)   Selection
E)   Acceptance

Question 8

Grammaticality judgments are:

Accepted Answer

A)   The surveys used by lexicographers to determine if a word is good enough to be included in the dictionary
B)   A specific type of sentence diagramming
C)   A set of linguistic strategies created for those trying to learn a second language
D)   Used to determine whether a sentence would be used naturally by a native speaker of the language
E)   Only considered as valid studies if carried out by a language maven

Exam 2: Grammar, Standardization, and Language Authorities