Deck 2: Foundations of Verbal Language

Question 1

_____ language is used to express the feelings,attitudes,and emotions of the speaker,such as a person who describes a movie as "suspenseful."

A)Emotive
B)Phatic
C)Cognitive
D)Identifying

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which theory attempts to explain language acquisition at its earliest stages in an individual's life?

A)Language-Explosion Theory
B)Cybernetic Processing Theory
C)Significant-Other Theory
D)Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Answer 2

A

Question 3

_____ language is used to convey information,and it is primarily denotative.

A)Cognitive
B)Phatic
C)Rhetorical
D)Identifying

Answer 3

A

Question 4

During the President's State of the Union Address,she discussed problems the United States is facing,such as the unemployment and rising economic inequality.Before the speech,the media reported that what the President focused on in her speech would determine whether people would still support her.What type of language did the President use to gain the public's support?

A)cognitive
B)identifying
C)phatic
D)rhetorical

Question 5

Jim is from New York and decided to attend college in Maryland.When he arrived,he noticed that natives of the Maryland area pronounced many words differently from him.Which two elements was he experiencing?

A)language and slang
B)dialect and accent
C)slang and accent
D)accent and language

Question 6

Which city has the most language diversity in the world?

A)Beijing
B)New York City
C)Chicago
D)Paris

Question 7

The theory that centers on the principle that our understandings of self is built by those who react to and comment on our language,actions,ideas,beliefs,and mannerisms.

A)Significant-Other Theory
B)Language-Explosion Theory
C)Language-Instinct Theory
D)Social Construction of Reality Theory

Question 8

Pennsylvania Dutch is an example of a(n)_____ language.

A)official
B)influential
C)slang
D)disappearing

Question 9

When a word has more than one meaning it exhibits _____.

A)cognitive effects
B)vagueness
C)ambiguity
D)denotative meaning

Question 10

Adults with a weak language base most likely had which experience?

A)They grew up in a bilingual household.
B)They were not spoken to or read to as much as their peers when they were children.
C)They do not watch television.
D)They speak more than one language.

Question 11

"Nice to meet you" is an example of _____ language.

A)emotive
B)phatic
C)rhetorical
D)cognitive

Question 12

The ability to retrieve a word from your mental storage and understand what it means is an example of the _____.

A)Needs Drive Theory
B)Significant-Other Theory
C)cybernetic process
D)information processing program

Question 13

The theory that holds how a person understands the world and behaves in it-based on the language a person speaks-is called _____.

A)Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis
B)Language-Explosion Theory
C)Significant-Other Theory
D)Acquired Telecommunication Theory

Question 14

The study of sounds,structure,and rules of human language is known as _____.

A)phonetics
B)semantics
C)linguistics
D)syntax

Question 15

Keisha has a mathematics exam tomorrow.For the test,she needs to know many formulas to solve problems that will appear on the test.As she sits at her desk,trying to memorize these formulas,which part of the brain is being used?

A)cortex
B)aorta
C)fibula
D)none of the above

Question 16

The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis is also known as the _____.

A)Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
B)Language-Explosion Theory
C)Language-Instinct Theory
D)none of the above

Question 17

Saying,"Suren asked the question" instead of "he asked the question" is an example of _____ language.

A)emotive
B)identifying
C)phatic
D)rhetorical

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT offered in the text as an explanation for the origins of human language?

A)Mutations 200,000 years ago gave us more control over mouth and throat muscles.
B)Humans and our ancestors have always had language.
C)Human ancestors developed language through involuntary grunts and gestures.
D)Speech is based on mental reflexes.

Question 19

A social or regional variation that includes pronunciation,vocabulary,grammar,and prosody,is known as a(n)_____.

A)accent
B)semantic
C)dialect
D)slang

Question 20

Maria asked one of her classmates,Tonya,to explain how to do an assignment that was due in class for next week.Tonya responded by saying,"Um,I really don't know.I guess you are supposed to just write an essay about your future plans and stuff like that." What are the words in italics called?

A)confusion phrases
B)inarticulates
C)ambiguities
D)none of the above

Question 21

Those who speak a nonstandard dialect may find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to hiring,salary,and promotion decisions.

Question 22

The word "cool," meaning something that is alluring,is an example of slang.

Question 23

Within the United States the same sandwich would be called "Hoagie," "Italian," "Bomber," "Grinder," "Hero" or "Sub" depending on the region.This variability is called _____.

A)slang
B)accent
C)inarticulates
D)dialect

Question 24

All cultures categorize colors the same way and recognize a universal number of colors due to the construction of the human eye.

Question 25

The language of the Piraha tribe of Brazil only has words for the numbers "one" and "two." Three or more are subsumed under a word meaning "many." In a study,they were unable to understand concepts for four or more.This study provided support for the theory of linguistic relativity.

Question 26

Languages are comprised solely of verbal symbols.

Question 27

Vagueness refers to when words have more than one meaning.

Question 28

English is the most influential language in the world.

Question 29

Though some say that there is no such thing as "Standard American English," most contend that it is the generally accepted pattern of pronunciation,semantics,and syntax.

Question 30

According to the text,doublespeak is an unconscious use of language.

Question 31

Words in and of themselves are inherently meaningful.

Question 32

Which of the following is true regarding language?

A)Words in and of themselves are inherently meaningful.
B)Most words are interpreted the same way by different people.
C)A sender should attempt to use language as precisely as possible to reduce misunderstanding and thus avoid semantic noise.
D)Connotative meanings are the direct,explicit meanings of words.

Question 33

Spanglish has been described as,"Spanish with a quick detour for a few English words and some fractured syntax."

Question 34

Connotations involve how people feel about a word,and therefore vary widely.

Question 35

Denotations' meanings are the direct,explicit meanings of words such as those found in a dictionary.

Question 36

Define and contrast a dialect and slang.In addition,give an example of each.

Question 37

What percentage of U.S.States currently has an English-only policy?

A)60 percent
B)10 percent
C)none
D)100 percent

Question 38

Give examples of the socioeconomic challenges speakers of Nonstandard English face compared with their peers who speak Standard English.

Question 39

English is the legal language of the United States.

Question 40

Which of the following has the comparatively highest prestige in society?

A)slang
B)non-standard dialect
C)inarticulates
D)standard dialect

Question 41

Define doublespeak and give an example.

Question 42

The text provides two theories on how we acquire our language,values,and beliefs.Briefly name and describe both theories.Then,using yourself as an example,explain how your language,values,and beliefs were acquired.

Question 43

Define the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis, (also called Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis),and give an example of its operation.

Question 44

Explain which is more important to you,the message sent or the message received.Based on your response,identify one goal you would like to achieve as a communicator this semester.

Question 45

Explain how both an alphabetically based language,such as English,and a pictographically based language,such as Chinese,can be symbolic.

Question 46

Is Standard American English descriptive or prescriptive? Explain.