Linguistic Diversity In U.S Exam 1
L1 Accent vs L2 Accent
L1 is natively acquired. L2 is the result of L1 phonology & influences it.
what is the difference of prescriptive vs. descriptive grammar?
Prescriptive grammar is how it should be used. Descriptive grammar is how it could be used.
Systemic Racism
Racism directed against a group of people through an institution's rules and policies
chain shifts
a change in pronunciation of a vowel causes a change in the pronunciation of another vowel, and so on.
Isogloss
a geographic boundary within which a particular linguistic feature occurs
Dialect
a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.
Define language and the key components
a system made up of sounds & signs. It is arbitrary, conventional, community-based for communication, and dynamic and open
In describing a language variety in linguistic terms, we could say that _________ are distinguished from one other based on sound patterns, word choice, and possibly other structural features like syntax and morphology.
dialect / dialects
The boundary that separates dialect areas, for example, the line between areas that say creemee vs. soft serve is called a(n) ____________.
isogloss
white rage
outrage of a significant number of white people in America believe that minorities were obtaining benefits and services without earning them
a bias towards idealized notions of "correct" and "appropriate" language, centered on and maintained by dominant groups in society, is called ____________
standard language ideology (SLI)
white privilege
the benefits people receive simply by being part of the dominant group
merger
(2+) sounds merge into a single sound ex: "cot" & "caught"
What are the degrees of racism and what is an example?
1st degree racism-- calling a person a derogatory term. 2nd degree racism-- bystanding anti-racism efforts. 3rd degree racism-- leaders not recognizing the lack of diverstiy.
In order to explain that we can share an idea about something that we might have never actually experienced (like the idea of Standard American English), Lippi-Green uses the example of what mythical creature?
A unicorn
accent
A way of pronouncing words that indicates the place of origin or social background of the speaker.
Irregular verbs are also called strong verbs because they do not change. A) True B) False
A) False
Children do not have to be explicitly taught the grammar of their native language; they will acquire it naturally with no instruction or correction. A) True B) False
A) True
Contrary to popular belief, nationally-distributed mass media (like radio and television) has not diminished dialect differences across the US. A) True B) False
A) True
Linguistic discrimination is not protected against under the law, even though discrimination based on other facets of people's identities is not legal. A) True B) False
A) True
One reason that linguists would describe speakers in the US South as having an accent is because the stress in some words (like insurance, cement) is on the first syllable instead of the second. A) True B) False
A) True
Variation in language (for example, saying I was walkin' vs. I was walking) is not random and lazy, but actually serves a communicative purpose. A) True B) False
A) True
The difference between a language and a dialect has mostly to do with: A) power and prestige B) correctness C) comprehensibility D) history of writing system
A) power and prestige
Which of the following is not a point that the sound house analogy is meant to explain? A)that learning the phonology of a first language as a child is fundamentally different from learning the phonology of a second language as an adult B) that some languages have a stronger accent than others C) that we lose our innate ability to perfectly acquire the sounds of a given language after a certain age D) that the way we learned to speak is closely tied to our identity
B) that some languages have a stronger accent than others
It is a fact that not all languages have a written form. What does this fact tell us? A) that some languages are superior to others B) that spoken/signed language is an innate human capacity, while written language is not C) that literate cultures have developed a more sophisticated level of thought and expression D) that only some languages have true grammar
B) that spoken/signed language is an innate human capacity, while written language is not
What was the primary purpose of the original New York City department store study (Labov 1966)? A) to discover the rates at which women delete /r/ in New York B) to understand how rates of /r/ deletion correlate with the prestige level of the speaker C) to document whether African American and White speakers have similar rates of /r/ deletion D) to find out whether rates of /r/ deletion are similar in New York as they are in Boston and other areas on the East Coast
B) to understand how rates of /r/ deletion correlate with the prestige level of the speaker
Lippi-Green uses the definition of ideology from Terry Eagleton, "how people come to invest in their own unhappiness" in order to help explain: A) why speakers of stigmatized varieties choose not to learn standard English B) why speakers of stigmatized varieties may internalize values of standard language ideology C) how institutions can better get speakers to use standard language D) why we shouldn't complain about having to use standard language
B) why speakers of stigmatized varieties may internalize values of standard language ideology
Which of the following is not a fundamental part of the definition of grammatical for linguists? A) a sentence is grammatical if it would be naturally produced by a native speaker of the language B) a sentence is grammatical if it sounds natural and well-formed to another native speaker of the language C) a sentence is grammatical if it follows the rules of the written language D) all of the above are fundamental to linguists' definition of grammatical
C) a sentence is grammatical if it follows the rules of the written language
Why does Lippi-Green assume that readers do not know basic facts about the structure and function of language? A) most readers will not have finished acquiring language since college-aged students' brains are still developing B) most readers will only have deep knowledge of one language (the language they acquired as a child) C) knowledge your native language is implicit, but facts about the structure of human language must be learned explicitly D) even linguists do not all agree on the basic facts of language
C) knowledge your native language is implicit, but facts about the structure of human language must be learned explicitly
Which of the following kind of variation is generally less interesting for sociolinguists to study? A) phonological B) morphological C) lexical D) syntactic
C) lexical
Which of the following is true about quotatives in California? Remember that quotatives are lexical elements like those underlined in the following sentences: And then she was like, "I hate bubble gum!" My mom was all, "Clean your room or you're not going anywhere." A) younger people use more quotatives overall B) all is increasing in use over time C) like is increasing in use over time D) say is the only quotative that is not evaluated negatively
C) like is increasing in use over time
When speakers do not engage in conversation with someone who has a marked accent different from their own, on the basis that they "do not understand", they are refusing to take up their part of the _____________.
Communicative Burden / Communicative Act
The concept of 'standard language' is compared to dynamics of race and gender because: A) all of them are based around some socially-constructed idea of what is 'normal' and what is 'deviant' B) they are all centered around relationships of power C) they all place certain members of society at a social disadvantage which can result in discrimination D) all of the above E) a & b only
D) all of the above
In a dialect area like Boston or New York City, in which of the following words would it not be possible for a speaker to delete the /r/ sound? A) mother B) store C) Scarface D) destroy
D) destroy
Which of the following is an inaccurate statement as applied to linguistic variation? A)variation can indicate a speaker's identity and group affiliation(s) B) variation occurs at every level of the linguistic system C) variation can lead to permanent changes in the language D) variation tends to be random rather than systematic
D) variation tends to be random rather than systematic
Which of the following is not true about the Northern Cities Chain Shift (NCCS)? A) the 'chain' refers to the way that the pronunciation changes move from one city to the next as compared with the deletion of post-vocalic /r/, the NCCS is a less conscious process on the part of the speaker B) it is characterized by a 'chain reaction' in the vowel system, where the change in pronunciation of one vowel leads to a change in the pronunciation of another vowel, which leads to a change in the pronunciation of another vowel, and so on C) it is most associated with White speakers in the regions in which it is taking place, and occurs less in the speech of African Americans and Latinx speakers in the same area
A) the 'chain' refers to the way that the pronunciation changes move from one city to the next as compared with the deletion of post-vocalic /r/, the NCCS is a less conscious process on the part of the speaker
The statement all language changes over time always applies, except if: A) the language has no native speakers B) the language is a signed language rather than a spoken language C) historically the language was written down accurately D) it has not been properly standardized
A) the language has no native speakers
Consider the list of sentences on p. 11. Which of the following statements is true? Answers: A) the sentences do not follow prescriptive rules of grammaticality B) the sentences do not follow linguistic rules of grammaticality C) both answers above are true D) neither answer above is true
A) the sentences do not follow prescriptive rules of grammaticality
In terms of the deletion of /r/, which of the following social factors are discussed as having an effect on this variation in pronunciation? (Select all that apply) age social class gender formality ethnicity
All the above
Dennis Preston has shown that standard, unaccented American English is spoken in the Midwest A) True B) False
B) False
For Lippi-Green, the education system is the route for making sure that everyone has access to and mastery of a standardized form of English. A) True B) False
B) False
The best languages in the world are those that both maximally reduce ambiguity and also have expansive vocabulary. A) True B) False
B) False
The fact that humans have an innate ability to acquire language means that Americans are specifically hard-wired to learn English, Mexicans are specifically hard-wired to learn Spanish, Russians are specifically hard-wired to learn Russian, and so on, throughout the world. A) True B) False
B) False
The main reason that James Kahakua was denied a promotion was because his accent was difficult for most people to understand. A) True B) False
B) False
The most reliable measure of whether someone speaks standard English is their level of education. A) True B) False
B) False
When we observe that language is changing, it is a sign that the language is deteriorating. A) True B) False
B) False
The reason that Lippi-Green chooses to use the term *SAE in the textbook is to indicate that: A) Standard American English is a special variety that should be indicated as such B) it indicates that it is an imperfect term C) it is the term most widely used by sociolinguists D) to show that it includes all varieties of language spoken in the US
B) it indicates that it is an imperfect term
