LING 115: MIDTERM 1 EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
T/F) Language is what we learn from dictionaries and grammar books - Correct
Answers -False
T/F) Slang consists of words or phrases that are non-standard. Contrary to standard
language, slang does not have rules. - Correct Answers -False
T/F) Everyone who speaks the same language should have the same vocabulary and
grammar - Correct Answers -False
What is the difference between language and dialect according to the quote.
"A language is a dialect with an army and a navy" - Correct Answers -Points out the
arbitarness of language selection. A dialect becomes a language to due socio-political
factors.
Define jargon - Correct Answers -special words or expressions that are used by a
particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.
Define lingua franca - Correct Answers -A language mutually understood and commonly
used in trade by people who have different native languages; very broad international
use
Define dialect - Correct Answers -A variety of language that is particular to a specific
region or social group.
Define accent - Correct Answers -a distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language
Define language - Correct Answers -A standard variety used by people in a country
Define ideolect - Correct Answers -The unique way that each person speaks his/her
language
Define style - Correct Answers -Ways of speaking depending on formality, age, group,
and social status
Define register - Correct Answers -Speech used for a particular acitivity or a particular
social setting
ex: sports event commentators, auctioneers,
, Define slang - Correct Answers -Informal vocabulary and grammar, often not found in
dictionaries but used in daily life
Define national language - Correct Answers -A language that has been selected for a
special role which is highly symbolic and its representative of the national identity
Define mutual intelligibility hypothesis (2 parts) - Correct Answers -a) If two people can
talk and understand each others dialects then they are speaking language varieties of
the same language
b) If they do not understand each other, then they are speaking two different languages
Examples that support MIH - Correct Answers -1. French and Spanish
2. American English and British English
3. Korean and Japanese
Examples that do not support MIH - Correct Answers -1. Danish (Denmark), Swedish
(Sweden), Norwegian (Norway)
ALL ARE CONSIDERED SEPERATE LANGUAGES BUT ALL SPEAKERS CAN
UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER.
2. Hindi (India) and Urdu (Pakistan)
BOTH SIMILAR LANGUAGES BUT CLASSIFIED AS SEPERATE DUE TO CHANGES
IN VOCABULARY AND USE OF DIFFERENT SCRIPT
3. Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese (China)
ALL CLASSIFIED HAS THE SAME LANGUAGE BUT NOT ALL MUTUALLY
INTELLIGBLE
Conclusion of MIH - Correct Answers -Fails in the real world
T/F) Dialects are not supposed to be idealized forms but are understood to be varieties
which correspong to a particular geographical area and are spoken by people in that
area - Correct Answers -True
What is a dialect continuum? - Correct Answers -A merging of dialects into each other
with no very clear boundaries
Give an example of dialect continuum - Correct Answers -Vienna to Amsterdam.
Viennese dialect of german, you could understand slightly diff form in next province, if
you learned the differences of central/western Austrian German you would still be able
to understand, this process continues until you reach Amsterdam.
AND ANSWERS
T/F) Language is what we learn from dictionaries and grammar books - Correct
Answers -False
T/F) Slang consists of words or phrases that are non-standard. Contrary to standard
language, slang does not have rules. - Correct Answers -False
T/F) Everyone who speaks the same language should have the same vocabulary and
grammar - Correct Answers -False
What is the difference between language and dialect according to the quote.
"A language is a dialect with an army and a navy" - Correct Answers -Points out the
arbitarness of language selection. A dialect becomes a language to due socio-political
factors.
Define jargon - Correct Answers -special words or expressions that are used by a
particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.
Define lingua franca - Correct Answers -A language mutually understood and commonly
used in trade by people who have different native languages; very broad international
use
Define dialect - Correct Answers -A variety of language that is particular to a specific
region or social group.
Define accent - Correct Answers -a distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language
Define language - Correct Answers -A standard variety used by people in a country
Define ideolect - Correct Answers -The unique way that each person speaks his/her
language
Define style - Correct Answers -Ways of speaking depending on formality, age, group,
and social status
Define register - Correct Answers -Speech used for a particular acitivity or a particular
social setting
ex: sports event commentators, auctioneers,
, Define slang - Correct Answers -Informal vocabulary and grammar, often not found in
dictionaries but used in daily life
Define national language - Correct Answers -A language that has been selected for a
special role which is highly symbolic and its representative of the national identity
Define mutual intelligibility hypothesis (2 parts) - Correct Answers -a) If two people can
talk and understand each others dialects then they are speaking language varieties of
the same language
b) If they do not understand each other, then they are speaking two different languages
Examples that support MIH - Correct Answers -1. French and Spanish
2. American English and British English
3. Korean and Japanese
Examples that do not support MIH - Correct Answers -1. Danish (Denmark), Swedish
(Sweden), Norwegian (Norway)
ALL ARE CONSIDERED SEPERATE LANGUAGES BUT ALL SPEAKERS CAN
UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER.
2. Hindi (India) and Urdu (Pakistan)
BOTH SIMILAR LANGUAGES BUT CLASSIFIED AS SEPERATE DUE TO CHANGES
IN VOCABULARY AND USE OF DIFFERENT SCRIPT
3. Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese (China)
ALL CLASSIFIED HAS THE SAME LANGUAGE BUT NOT ALL MUTUALLY
INTELLIGBLE
Conclusion of MIH - Correct Answers -Fails in the real world
T/F) Dialects are not supposed to be idealized forms but are understood to be varieties
which correspong to a particular geographical area and are spoken by people in that
area - Correct Answers -True
What is a dialect continuum? - Correct Answers -A merging of dialects into each other
with no very clear boundaries
Give an example of dialect continuum - Correct Answers -Vienna to Amsterdam.
Viennese dialect of german, you could understand slightly diff form in next province, if
you learned the differences of central/western Austrian German you would still be able
to understand, this process continues until you reach Amsterdam.
