Deck 5: Language as a Barrier

Question 1

The two different translations possible for such expressions as "read between the lines" or "my leg went to sleep" would be examples of what translation problem?

A) conceptual equivalence
B) experiential equivalence
C) idiomatic equivalence
D) vocabulary equivalence

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What does the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis address?

A) the history of writing
B) the origin of different races
C) the relationship between language and culture
D) the relationship between environment and culture

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The often-cited example of the different possible translations into English of the Japanese word mokusatsu,which led to a major misunderstanding between the Japanese and the Allies during World War II,is an example of what translation problem?

A) conceptual equivalence
B) experiential equivalence
C) idiomatic equivalence
D) vocabulary equivalence

Answer 3

D

Question 4

When cultures come in contact with no shared language they may develop a new language composed of a mixture of languages.This is known as ______.

A) Esperanto
B) Indo-European
C) Nostratic
D) pidgin

Question 5

Because of the interconnection between the Islamic religion and the Arabic language,______.

A) Islam did not spread from the region of its origin
B) modern standard Arabic has replaced English and French in the region
C) spoken Arabic does not change
D) the language of the Qur'an is the accepted standard for the written language

Question 6

Errors in translation can be avoided through ______.

A) back translation
B) computer translation
C) the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
D) using an accurate dictionary

Question 7

What official language(s)does Hawaii have?

A) English and Spanish
B) English only
C) Hawaiian only
D) English and Hawaiian

Question 8

The most well-known creole language is ______.

A) French-based Haitian
B) Hiri Motu
C) Pidgin English
D) Tok Pisin

Question 9

The number of people living in 1990 who could speak English was ______.

A) 1 in 3
B) 1 in 7
C) 1 in 20
D) 1 in 50

Question 10

The rhetoric of confrontation and verbal threats in Arabic ______.

A) follows actual violence
B) is a form of verbal aggression that diffuses actual violence
C) is only directed at non-Arabs
D) precedes actual violence

Question 11

A universal language developed in the 19th century is ______.

A) Altaic
B) Esperanto
C) Indo-European
D) Nostratic

Question 12

In 1990,a federal district court ruled Arizona's English-only law violated what constitutional guarantee?

A) due process
B) freedom of speech
C) one person one vote
D) states' rights

Question 13

Which of the following is true about the Arabic language?

A) It cannot be translated into English.
B) It deemphasizes creative artistry.
C) It expresses an Islamic worldview.
D) It makes use of vocal flatness.

Question 14

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that schools that do not provide special help for children with limited English are violating their civil rights?

A) Fragante v. City and County of Honolulu
B) Lau v. Nichols
C) Plessey v. Ferguson
D) Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese v. Milivojevich

Question 15

French language and culture are particularly prominent in which Canadian province?

A) Alberta
B) Manitoba
C) Nova Scotia
D) Quebec

Question 16

______ and Chinese are spoken by more people than English is.

A) Spanish
B) French
C) Japanese
D) Russian

Question 17

In the Arabic culture,skillful use of language ______.

A) commands prestige
B) is no longer encouraged
C) is rare because of the difficulty of the language
D) is restricted to religious matters only

Question 18

In the interpretation of linguistic relativism,the difference between languages is not what can be said,but ______.

A) how fast it is said
B) how it is said
C) what cannot be said
D) what is relatively easy to say

Question 19

The only Germanic language developed outside Europe is ______.

A) Afrikaans
B) Malay
C) Tswana
D) Xhosa

Question 20

The different possible translations of the word freedom would be an example of what translation problem?

A) conceptual equivalence
B) experiential equivalence
C) idiomatic equivalence
D) vocabulary equivalence

Question 21

The indigenous language of the Māori has nearly disappeared from New Zealand.

Question 22

During the 19th century,the most common second language in the United States was German.

Question 23

English is the first language for nearly 60% of the population of South Africa.

Question 24

The Allies' translation of the word mokusatsu in the Japanese response to the Potsdam Ultimatum is an example of the translation problem called idiomatic equivalence.

Question 25

Translation of the English word democracy into Russian is an example of the translation problem called experiential equivalence.

Question 26

One-way handheld voice translators were used by the U.S.military in Afghanistan as early as 2002.

Question 27

In 2009,the Texas-border state of Tamaulipas declared itself the first bilingual state in Mexico.

Question 28

When Israel became independent,it adopted a largely defunct language as an official language.

Question 29

Whorf observed that the Hopi have no words or expressions that refer to time and concluded that the Hopi had no concept of time.

Question 30

Freire used the term cultural invasion to refer to one group penetrating the culture of another group to impose its own view of the world.

Question 31

The English language has a Germanic structure.

Question 32

Canada is officially a one-language country.

Question 33

The rhetoric of confrontation refers to verbal threats and flamboyant language.

Question 34

Esperanto has the advantage over other universal language attempts of being easy to learn by anyone.

Question 35

For religious reasons,spoken Arabic does not change nor vary from country to country.

Question 36

Since 1950,the requirement for U.S.citizenship has been "to read,write,and speak words in ordinary English."

Question 37

One advantage of English as a universal language is its large vocabulary.

Question 38

Today's estimate is that one fifth to one fourth of the world's population is familiar with English.

Question 39

In some Asian languages,one word can refer to both "food" and "rice."

Question 40

Pidgins can best be described as a second language used for restrictive purposes such as trade.

Question 41

Even when cultures speak the same language,as do Australia and the United States,there can be ______ differences.

Question 42

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis asserts that reality is embedded in a culture's ______.

Question 43

Whorf observed that the Hopi don't have tenses,or any constructions or expressions referring to ______.

Question 44

The third most widely spoken first languages in the world is ______.

Question 45

______ bilingual speakers are people who learned a second language early in life and use the language in many different contexts.

Question 46

Today,few accept the extreme position of the Sapir-Whorf linguistic ______.

Question 47

Languages that are different often lack words that are directly ______.

Question 48

The most widely spoken first language in the world is ______.

Question 49

______ is the major language used on the Internet.

Question 50

The most commonly used second language in the United States during the 19th century was ______.

Question 51

Language is central to ______ identity.

Question 52

______ bilingual speakers are people who learn a second language later in life and who typically use their second language in a limited number of contexts.

Question 53

Only about a third of English sentences lack a ______.

Question 54

Eskimo languages have many words for different kinds of ______,while other languages,such as English,may require several words to describe the same thing.

Question 55

In the Eskimo language,there is a consistent use of the word ______ in reference to the future; linguists have associated this grammatical trend with the harsh environment that Eskimos live in,where there is little control over nature.

Question 56

Recently,voice translators involving speech recognition,machine translation,and voice synthesis have been developed for handheld devices for use between English and ______.

Question 57

Westerners favor ______ whereas Easterners favor relationships.

Question 58

______ and ______ are the official languages of the territory of Puerto Rico.

Question 59

The second most widely spoken first languages in the world is ______.

Question 60

The predominant language on the Internet in India is ______.

Question 61

Discuss and give examples for the translation problems related to experience.

Question 62

Describe the difference between coordinate bilingual speakers and compound bilingual speakers.

Question 63

Using at least three examples,explain linguistic relativism.

Question 64

Discuss and give examples for the translation problems related to vocabulary.

Question 65

Discuss and give examples for the translation problems related to concepts.

Question 66

What is language?

Question 67

How can back translation improve the effectiveness of intercultural communication?

Question 68

Using at least three examples,explain the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

Question 69

Discuss issues related to machines as translators.

Question 70

Why is Esperanto unlikely to become a widely used language?

Question 71

What arguments can be made for and against official language laws?

Question 72

Discuss the relationship between language and culture.

Question 73

Develop arguments for both sides of the Lau v.Nichols case.

Question 74

Describe the development and spread of English.

Question 75

Discuss how the Qur'an is related to Arabic culture and language.

Question 76

Discuss and give examples for the translation problems related to idioms.

Question 77

How do linguists trace the origins of language?

Question 78

How do language and nationalism relate?

Question 79

Compare the Arabic language to English.

Question 80

Discuss and give examples for the translation problems related to grammar.