LING 115 - EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Language is defined as a system of combinatorial system of codes and symbols used to
store, retrieve, organize human knowledge and experience. - Correct Answers -True
According to the article, the most distinguishing characteristic of the human species that
differentiate from other animals is their ability to think. - Correct Answers -False
Human language is essentially innate, and not culturally transmitted. - Correct Answers
-False
'Language Contact' due to 'migration', 'trade', 'colonialism' is considered the main cause
for Bilingualism. - Correct Answers -True
Culture is a set of beliefs, values, norms, customs, traditions, rituals, and a way of life
that differentiates one group from another. - Correct Answers -True
Bilinguals are proficient in both languages and have the ability (both spoken as well as
written) to use them across all domains/contexts. - Correct Answers -False
There is NO direct correlation between the language of a particular speech community
and its culture. - Correct Answers -False
Individuals learning another language display more self-confidence, especially if they
have acquired a 'desirable' language'. - Correct Answers -True
One of the animal communication properties is 'displacement'. - Correct Answers -False
Relatively monolingual countries such as United States, Britain, Japan, view
Bilingualism as: - Correct Answers -All of the above.
The field of comparative biology assumes that a genetic trait like the ability to use verbal
communication must have been present in closely related non-human primates. -
Correct Answers -True
Speech articulators and the brain structure responsible for speech production in human
beings became more complicated than other higher primates their relatives. - Correct
Answers -True
Primate vocalization, unlike the human communication system, doesn't involve the
neocortical region of the brain. - Correct Answers -True
The animal communication system is an open system. - Correct Answers -False
, Chomsky et. al. believe that verbal articulation in humans must have evolved for the
mental representation of conceptual structure (thoughts) contra Pinker and Bloom et. al.
- Correct Answers -True
´Human language displays 'duality of patterning' property whereas this property is
absent in primate communication system. - Correct Answers -True
Social Intelligence Theory of language origin assumes that cognitive structure (social
hierarchy, social cohesiveness) was already present in pre-human primates and human
language is just a continuity of the same structure expressed through verbal articulation.
- Correct Answers -True
After reviewing the comparative biology and social intelligence theory assumptions
regarding the origin of language, one might conclude that human language may not
have its origins or evolved from the primate communication system, - Correct Answers -
True
A person who uses two languages in communication (both spoken, and written) is
called as a: - Correct Answers -Bilingual
'Language Contact' due to 'migration', 'trade', 'colonialism' is considered the main cause
for Bilingualism. - Correct Answers -True
'Cultural awareness' (breaking the cultural barrier, demystify some cultural stereotypes
among different linguistic communities) and 'Cognitive Value' (cognitive advantage) are
two important 'Individual' motivational reasons to be bilingual. - Correct Answers -True
Bilinguals are proficient in both languages and have the ability (both spoken as well as
written) to use them across all domains/contexts. - Correct Answers -False
According to Pinker, mental grammar is autonomous and is not part of other cognitive
faculties. - Correct Answers -True
Difference between 'word chain devices' that uses 'artifical combinatorial system' and
the 'tree' devise that uses 'natural combinatorial system' is that the word chain devise
groups words based on their word dependencies, where as natural combinatorial
dependencies group words into a superstructure. - Correct Answers -True
According to Pinker, Word Chain Devises or Markov model listing words in a linear
sequence, are inadequate to show the relationship between the various constituents in
a sentence such as Subject-Verb relationship. - Correct Answers -True
According to Pinker, human language uses the 'probability principle', stringing words in
a linear sequence. - Correct Answers -False
ANSWERS
Language is defined as a system of combinatorial system of codes and symbols used to
store, retrieve, organize human knowledge and experience. - Correct Answers -True
According to the article, the most distinguishing characteristic of the human species that
differentiate from other animals is their ability to think. - Correct Answers -False
Human language is essentially innate, and not culturally transmitted. - Correct Answers
-False
'Language Contact' due to 'migration', 'trade', 'colonialism' is considered the main cause
for Bilingualism. - Correct Answers -True
Culture is a set of beliefs, values, norms, customs, traditions, rituals, and a way of life
that differentiates one group from another. - Correct Answers -True
Bilinguals are proficient in both languages and have the ability (both spoken as well as
written) to use them across all domains/contexts. - Correct Answers -False
There is NO direct correlation between the language of a particular speech community
and its culture. - Correct Answers -False
Individuals learning another language display more self-confidence, especially if they
have acquired a 'desirable' language'. - Correct Answers -True
One of the animal communication properties is 'displacement'. - Correct Answers -False
Relatively monolingual countries such as United States, Britain, Japan, view
Bilingualism as: - Correct Answers -All of the above.
The field of comparative biology assumes that a genetic trait like the ability to use verbal
communication must have been present in closely related non-human primates. -
Correct Answers -True
Speech articulators and the brain structure responsible for speech production in human
beings became more complicated than other higher primates their relatives. - Correct
Answers -True
Primate vocalization, unlike the human communication system, doesn't involve the
neocortical region of the brain. - Correct Answers -True
The animal communication system is an open system. - Correct Answers -False
, Chomsky et. al. believe that verbal articulation in humans must have evolved for the
mental representation of conceptual structure (thoughts) contra Pinker and Bloom et. al.
- Correct Answers -True
´Human language displays 'duality of patterning' property whereas this property is
absent in primate communication system. - Correct Answers -True
Social Intelligence Theory of language origin assumes that cognitive structure (social
hierarchy, social cohesiveness) was already present in pre-human primates and human
language is just a continuity of the same structure expressed through verbal articulation.
- Correct Answers -True
After reviewing the comparative biology and social intelligence theory assumptions
regarding the origin of language, one might conclude that human language may not
have its origins or evolved from the primate communication system, - Correct Answers -
True
A person who uses two languages in communication (both spoken, and written) is
called as a: - Correct Answers -Bilingual
'Language Contact' due to 'migration', 'trade', 'colonialism' is considered the main cause
for Bilingualism. - Correct Answers -True
'Cultural awareness' (breaking the cultural barrier, demystify some cultural stereotypes
among different linguistic communities) and 'Cognitive Value' (cognitive advantage) are
two important 'Individual' motivational reasons to be bilingual. - Correct Answers -True
Bilinguals are proficient in both languages and have the ability (both spoken as well as
written) to use them across all domains/contexts. - Correct Answers -False
According to Pinker, mental grammar is autonomous and is not part of other cognitive
faculties. - Correct Answers -True
Difference between 'word chain devices' that uses 'artifical combinatorial system' and
the 'tree' devise that uses 'natural combinatorial system' is that the word chain devise
groups words based on their word dependencies, where as natural combinatorial
dependencies group words into a superstructure. - Correct Answers -True
According to Pinker, Word Chain Devises or Markov model listing words in a linear
sequence, are inadequate to show the relationship between the various constituents in
a sentence such as Subject-Verb relationship. - Correct Answers -True
According to Pinker, human language uses the 'probability principle', stringing words in
a linear sequence. - Correct Answers -False
