Question 1

In recent years, the word "troll" has gained a new meaning: it refers to people who deliberately try to cause disruption, offense, or general trouble in an online community. Explain the factor(s) that led to this new meaning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In recent years, the word "troll" has...

Question 2

Your friend Henry gave you his short story to read over the weekend, and unfortunately you hated it. Now Henry is expecting some feedback. Using equivocation, give an example of the kinds of things you would say to preserve Henry's feelings.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your friend Henry gave you his short...

Question 3

Your friend Makoto is living with you while he learns English. One day he comes home very confused and tells you, "I was watching the news, and they said that everyone has a few skeletons in their closet! Do you really keep your dead in your closets?" Identify and explain the type of language that Makoto has heard.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your friend Makoto is living with you...

Question 4

Explain what it means for phatic communication to be "content-free." Illustrate this quality using examples.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what it means for phatic communication...

Question 5

Americans have no single word for when people gain weight from emotional binge eating, but Germans call it "kummerspeck." Examine this concept in terms of its codability.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Americans have no single word for when...

Question 6

"You know who I ran into the other day? Michael from Mrs. Davidson's class. He's running his own small business now," says Linnea. "He'll always be 'the kid who eats glue' to me," answers Isabelle. Identify and explain the destructive process of verbal symbol use that Isabelle is using.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "You know who I ran into the...

Question 7

"Young people today are so self-involved. They're always on their phones, posting about their meals on Facebook and the Twitter," says Rosemary. "They're all about instant gratification. And you can't count on them to follow through on anything," Arthur agrees. Identify and explain the destructive process of verbal symbol use that Rosemary and Arthur are using.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "Young people today are so self-involved. They're...

Question 8

"I have felt racism. I once went to this party where I was the only white person there, and I felt really uncomfortable," says Fletcher. Identify and explain the skill that Fletcher needs to work on in order to improve his verbal communication.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "I have felt racism. I once went...

Question 9

Provide an example from your own life when indexing allowed you to enhance your verbal communication.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Provide an example from your own life...

Question 10

The rise of computers and the Internet has led to an explosion in completely new words (e.g., website, selfie), but has also given new meanings to old words. Provide some examples of such words and explain how their meanings have changed over time.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The rise of computers and the Internet...

Question 11

Explain the movement toward political correctness in terms of the attributes of verbal symbols.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the movement toward political correctness in...

Question 12

In English, we have relatively few words for family members, and many are not distinguished by gender. For example, we have "aunt" and "uncle" but only "cousin," no specific words for male cousin and female cousin. Other languages, however, have many more words for specific family members. Hindi, for example, has specific words for your father's younger brother, your father's elder brother, your father's sister's husband, your mother's brother, and your mother's sister's husband--all of which are simply "uncles" in English. Analyze the relationship between culture and language using this example.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In English, we have relatively few words...

Question 13

Compare and contrast linguistic determinism and linguistic relativity. Explain the process that led from one to the other.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast linguistic determinism and linguistic...

Question 14

Whenever you come home, your parents fuss over you. Your mom is always worried that you're driving dangerously, while your dad wants to make sure you're being safe when you're out late at night. Identify the destructive process of verbal symbols they are engaging in and explain to them why it is not helpful.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Whenever you come home, your parents fuss...

Question 15

Starting in 2016, a point of political contention in the United States has been the choice of some professional athletes to kneel before the flag during the National Anthem rather than stand with their hands over their hearts. These athletes are kneeling in silent protest against systematic oppression of people of color. Some people, including President Donald Trump, denigrate this practice as disrespectful to the country. Analyze this conflict in terms of the destructive processes of symbols.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Starting in 2016, a point of political...

Question 16

English has gendered, third-person singular pronouns (he/him/his and she/her/hers) and an inanimate third-person singular pronoun (it/its), but no gender-neutral, third-person singular pronoun. Such a pronoun would have many uses. It might be used by people who identify as gender-nonconforming or by people who do not know another person's gender, such as parents talking about an unborn child. Analyze the effects of this lack in terms of muted group theory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of English has gendered, third-person singular pronouns (he/him/his...

Question 17

Your text acknowledges that most people attempt to avoid overt racial slurs, but there are more subtle manifestations of racist language. Recently attention has been drawn to the use of the word "thug" to describe African American males. Analyze this word in terms of its denotation, connotation, and power, and examine its function as racist language.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your text acknowledges that most people attempt...

Question 18

Perspective taking involves acknowledging the viewpoints of others and while not assuming that you already know about their experiences. As an exercise in perspective taking, choose a prominent person or group that you personally disagree with and attempt to take their perspective on a subject. Illustrate how you might do this.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Perspective taking involves acknowledging the viewpoints of...

Question 19

Your roommates Dennis and Abdullah got into a heated argument over a stand-up comedian the other day. Abdullah thought that one of the comedian's jokes stepped over the line, while Dennis thinks the point of comedy is to push the envelope. They ended the fight with hard feelings. Use your knowledge of the skill set for improving verbal communication to provide Dennis and Abdullah with the tools to reconcile.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your roommates Dennis and Abdullah got into...

Quiz 4: Communicating Verbally