Deck 4: Regional Variation in American English

Question 1

Which of the following empirical dialect projects focuses specifically on documenting lexical variation in the U.S.?

A) TELSUR
B) LAMSAS
C) ALANA
D) ALAP
E) DARE

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Using examples from any of the lectures or readings on regional and social dialects in the United States, explain the concept of phonological change.

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Explain the concept and purpose of an isogloss. Draw a diagram to help explicate your work.

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

Compare and contrast DARE and TELSUR, in terms of both their methodologies and their findings.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a linguistically accurate statement about Internet language?

A) Internet language is giving rise to new grammatical structures and phrases
B) Studies have shown that reading on the Internet does not have a negative impact on levels of literacy
C) Due to relative online anonymity, Internet language has opportunities to be less gendered
D) The language change that is being perceived online is part of the natural process of language change
E) Perhaps because of its reliance on technology, Internet language has not influenced everyday spoken language

Question 6

Which of the following refers to the use of a linguistic feature solely by those who identify with a specific speech community?

A) Group exclusive
B) Group preferential
C) Social variable
D) Linguistic variable
E) Vernacular variable

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT true regarding American dialects?

A) Regional dialects in the U.S. continue to thrive; thus, U.S. speech is not becoming more homogenous, as many predicted
B) A singular Standard American English has never been formally declared in the U.S.
C) Similar to Gullah, the structure of African American English reflects its origins in both English and West African languages
D) Historically, there have been more regional dialects found on the West coast than on the East coast of the U.S., due to migration patterns
E) The pin/pen merger is a non-standard linguistic feature found in the parts of the American South

Question 8

The use of the second person plural y'all is associated with Southern American English, but is also used by those who have moved to other parts of the U.S., their family members, and some speakers of African American English. We would call this type of feature:

A) Sociolectal
B) Group preferential
C) Group exclusive
D) Idiolectal
E) Etymological

Question 9

Which of the following is TRUE about American regional dialects?

A) There is no definitive answer to the number of regional dialects that exist in the U.S. because different studies use different criteria to draw boundaries
B) There are more regional dialects found on the West coast than on the East coast, due to settlement history and migration patterns
C) Current research suggests that American regional dialects are becoming more alike
D) Regional dialects are dying out due to traditional and social media influences
E) Although African American English is sometimes considered a social dialect, it should be categorized as a regional dialect due its development in the American South

Question 10

Which of the following is not a contemporary vowel shift or merger in American English?

A) The Northern Cities Shift
B) The Southern Vowel Shift
C) The low/back merger
D) The bat/ban merger
E) The pin/pen merger

Question 11

Which of the following describes the Northern Cities Shift?

A) A change in the vowel system of Standard British English during the 15th century which allowed it to take on more nonstandard features
B) A shift in the vowel system of northern, urban areas that is contributing to the finding that American regional dialects are becoming less alike
C) A shift in perception that explains how Standard American English was originally placed in New England but is now associated with speech in the Midwest
D) A shift in AAE from a dialect that was not written to one in which there is an emerging canon of literature
E) A historical phonetic change in which all stop consonants have shifted in their manner of articulation

Question 12

Is American speech becoming more or less homogenous? Explain your answer.