Question 1

Which of the following is NOT considered one of the four major linguistic universals of human language?

Accepted Answer

Language is biologically hardwired and unchangeable.

Question 2

According to Steven Pinker's 'language instinct' theory, which of the following best describes the innate aspect of language?

Accepted Answer

Humans are born with a biological predisposition to acquire the structural rules of language.

Question 3

In the Eimas, Miller & Jusczyk (1987) study, what was the main dependent variable used to assess infant phoneme perception?

Accepted Answer

Changes in sucking rates

Question 4

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'arbitrary reference' in language?

Accepted Answer

The word 'dog' has no inherent connection to the animal it represents.

Question 5

A morpheme is defined as:

Accepted Answer

The smallest meaningful grammatical unit in a language.

Question 6

Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates the concept of 'fragile properties' of language?

Accepted Answer

A child who learns to use plural and tense markers only after extensive exposure to language.

Question 7

According to research on infant phoneme perception, what happens to a baby's ability to distinguish phonemes as they grow older?

Accepted Answer

Babies lose the ability to distinguish phonemes not present in their native language.

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the Whorfian Hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

The language you speak influences how you perceive and think about the world.

Question 9

A Japanese speaker has difficulty distinguishing between the English 'l' and 'r' sounds. This phenomenon is best explained by:

Accepted Answer

Loss of sensitivity to phoneme contrasts not present in one's native language.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of recursive structure in language?

Accepted Answer

The sentence: 'The book that the student who I met yesterday read was interesting.'

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the difference between 'resilient' and 'fragile' properties of language?

Accepted Answer

Resilient properties can be acquired at any age, while fragile properties must be learned early in life.

Question 12

A child who was not exposed to language until after age 13, like Genie, is most likely to have difficulty with which aspect of language?

Accepted Answer

Mastering fragile properties such as tense and plural markers

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of how language can influence thought, according to the Whorfian Hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A Russian speaker is faster at distinguishing between different shades of blue than an English speaker.

Question 14

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'pragmatics' in language?

Accepted Answer

Understanding that 'Can you pass the salt?' is a request, not a question about ability.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about 'home sign' is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Home sign is a system of gestures created by deaf children without exposure to formal language.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the relationship between nature and nurture in language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

Both innate predispositions and environmental input contribute to language acquisition.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a phoneme?

Accepted Answer

The sound /b/ in 'bat'

Question 18

A linguist is analyzing the sentence 'Colgate constructed the new library quickly.' Which level of language is she focusing on if she is interested in the order of noun and verb phrases?

Accepted Answer

Syntax

Question 19

Which of the following real-world examples best demonstrates the generative property of language?

Accepted Answer

A child creates a sentence they have never heard before using known words and grammar rules.

Question 20

Which of the following best explains why chimps cannot learn human language in the same way as humans?

Accepted Answer

Chimps do not possess the innate cognitive structures necessary for hierarchical and recursive language.

10. Language and Thought: Foundations, Universals, and Influence on Cognition

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