Question 1

What are phonemes?

Accepted Answer

A)  the rules by which deep structure is translated into surface structure 
B)  regional differences in dialect 
C)  syntactical structures that distinguish passive constructions from active ones 
D)  the minimal sound contrasts that distinguish meaning in a language 
E)  electromagnetic signals that carry messages between speakers in a telephone conversation

Question 2

What is the term for the variations in speech due to different contexts or situations?

Accepted Answer

A)  linguistic confusion 
B)  situational syntax 
C)  contextual phonetics 
D)  Chomskian verbosity 
E)  style shifting

Question 3

One aspect of linguistic history is language loss. When a language disappears,

Accepted Answer

A)  less strain is put on the educational system, because it has less language diversity to deal with. 
B)  this is confirmation to historical linguists that language is also a victim of evolutionary forces. 
C)  so does pride in one's heritage. 
D)  cultural diversity is reduced as well. 
E)  humanity is that much closer to global integration.

Question 4

Linguistic stratification can occur between dialects when one is considered a prestige dialect, as is the case with High German and Low German, or with Standard English (SE) and Black English Vernacular (BEV).

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Phonology is the study of speech sounds.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Black English Vernacular (BEV) is an incomplete linguistic system that is able only to express thoughts and ideas related to life in inner-city communities.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

When does copula deletion (absence of the verb "to be") occur in BEV?

Accepted Answer

A)  where SE has contractions 
B)  randomly 
C)  in the past tense 
D)  in the future tense 
E)  in SE, not BEV

Question 8

How has technology influenced the way you communicate? Considering what you already know about anthropological theory and methods, what kinds of questions might an anthropologist pose about the role of technology in human culture, and particularly language? How might he or she go about answering those questions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How has technology influenced the way you...

Question 9

Studies investigating differences in the way men and women talk are examples of sociolinguistics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following was studied by Sapir and Whorf?

Accepted Answer

A)  the interaction of thought on surface structure 
B)  the influence of language on thought 
C)  the influence of deep structure on surface structure 
D)  the influence of deep structure on semantic domains 
E)  the influence of culture on language

Question 11

Focal vocabularies are found only in non-Western societies like the Eskimo and the Nuer.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

What are honorifics? Why are sociolinguists interested in their use in context? In your everyday life, do you ever use honorifics? What does their use, or lack of use, imply about your relationships to others?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are honorifics? Why are sociolinguists interested...

Question 13

In all languages, the same honorifics have the same meaning, regardless of context.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Which of the following statements about sociolinguists is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are concerned more with performance than with competence. 
B)  They look at society and at language. 
C)  They are concerned with linguistic change. 
D)  They focus on surface structure. 
E)  They are more interested in the rules that govern language than the actual use of language in everyday life.

Question 15

Diglossia refers to linguistic groups, like those in Papua New Guinea and Australia, that distinguish between only two colors: black and white or dark and light.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

What is the study of the sounds used in speech?

Accepted Answer

A)  phones 
B)  phonemes 
C)  phonology 
D)  phonetics 
E)  phonemics

Question 17

Discuss some common interests of linguistics and ethnography. Of what use can knowledge of linguistic techniques and principles be to the ethnographer?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss some common interests of linguistics and...

Question 18

Language and communication involve much more than just verbal speech. The study of communication through body movements, stances, gestures, and facial expressions is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  linguistic physiology. 
B)  biosemantics. 
C)  kinesics. 
D)  protolinguistics. 
E)  diglossia.

Question 19

Historical linguists use linguistic similarities and differences in the world today to study long-term changes in language.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

All human nonverbal communication is instinctive, not influenced by cultural factors.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 5: Language and Communication

What are phonemes?

What is the term for the variations in speech due to different contexts or situations?

One aspect of linguistic history is language loss. When a language disappears,

Linguistic stratification can occur between dialects when one is considered a prestige dialect, as is the case with High German and Low German, or with Standard English (SE) and Black English Vernacular (BEV).

Phonology is the study of speech sounds.

Black English Vernacular (BEV) is an incomplete linguistic system that is able only to express thoughts and ideas related to life in inner-city communities.

When does copula deletion (absence of the verb "to be") occur in BEV?

Studies investigating differences in the way men and women talk are examples of sociolinguistics.

Which of the following was studied by Sapir and Whorf?

Focal vocabularies are found only in non-Western societies like the Eskimo and the Nuer.

What are honorifics? Why are sociolinguists interested in their use in context? In your everyday life, do you ever use honorifics? What does their use, or lack of use, imply about your relationships to others?

In all languages, the same honorifics have the same meaning, regardless of context.

Which of the following statements about sociolinguists is NOT true?

Diglossia refers to linguistic groups, like those in Papua New Guinea and Australia, that distinguish between only two colors: black and white or dark and light.

What is the study of the sounds used in speech?

Discuss some common interests of linguistics and ethnography. Of what use can knowledge of linguistic techniques and principles be to the ethnographer?

Language and communication involve much more than just verbal speech. The study of communication through body movements, stances, gestures, and facial expressions is known as

Historical linguists use linguistic similarities and differences in the world today to study long-term changes in language.

All human nonverbal communication is instinctive, not influenced by cultural factors.