LING-115 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Standard language - Correct Answers -A language that can be written/standardized to
some degree by grammar
Lingua franca - Correct Answers -Language which is used for communication by
peoples whose first languages differ
National language - Correct Answers -Symbol of nation's identity; helps unify the
citizens
Official language - Correct Answers -Language that speakers have the legal right to use
in a designated official domain
Paraguay (NL, OL) - Correct Answers -Guarani, Spanish
Tanzania (NL, OL) - Correct Answers -Swahili, Swahili/English
Languages of wider communication (LWC) - Correct Answers -Use of a language in a
wide range of formal domains
Examples of LWC's - Correct Answers -Swahili in Tanzania
Urdu in Pakistan
Is English an official language in USA or Britain? - Correct Answers -No; vast majority of
the population speaks English, but it's unnecessary to state that English is the national
language
Most important factor taken into account when a government recognizes a language -
Correct Answers -Cost
What was the Philippines' national language, and what was it based on? - Correct
Answers -Pilipino / Tagalog; caused a lot of resentment based on the advantages of
national languages
Steps in the establishment and spread of a new national language - Correct Answers -1.
Selection
2. Codification
3. Lexical expansion/Elaboration of function
4. Implementation
5. Acceptance
,Selection - Correct Answers -Appropriate variety must be chosen from a set of
alternatives
Codification - Correct Answers -Selected language has to be standardized by:
1. Grammar rules
2. Dictionary
3. Written form of the language
Lexical expansion/Elaboration of function - Correct Answers -Expansion of the
vocabulary (creation of new words)
Implementation - Correct Answers -Use of the national language in:
Mass education
Radio/television
Propaganda
Acceptance - Correct Answers -Positive promotion strategies by the government
Terms related to language planning (3) - Correct Answers -1. Language planning
2. Corpus planning
3. Status planning
Language planning - Correct Answers -Activities which aim at changing linguistic
behavior
Corpus planning - Correct Answers -Activities attempting to change internal structure
(language expansion)
Status planning - Correct Answers -Efforts to change the use/function of a language (i.e.
national/official language)
Ideals of a successful national language - Correct Answers -Unifying function - Unites a
people
Separatist function - Distinguishes from other countries
Prestige - Higher status than other dialects
Function as a standard - Model of speech
Norway had two competing national languages: ________ & ________ - Correct
Answers -Bokmal & Nynorsk
Bokmal was: - Correct Answers -The language of the state (urban parts of Norway;
borrowed from Danish language)
Nynorsk was: - Correct Answers -The language of the lands (rural lands of Norway;
local Norwegian words)
, Purification - Correct Answers -Language expansion involving the development of a
new national identity
Protectionism - Correct Answers -Language expansion in order to defend an image
previously established through a national language
Lexical purification - Correct Answers -Purging a national language of words of foreign
words to restore the language to a pure state
Examples of languages that have undergone deliberate purification for political reasons
- Correct Answers -Greek (Katharevousa) - Eliminated Turkish, Italian
Italian - Pre-WWII fascism; German and Slovene names were replaced with Italian
names
Japanese - 1930s; a period of ultra-nationalism and military expansion where all foreign
words were purged out of the language
Korean - Defense of the national language (1950s-1970s); foreign words eliminated
Linguistic protectionism - Correct Answers -Process in which new words are heavily
encouraged / required to be created with strategies B/C
How did Turkey break away from the Ottoman Empire (language wise)? - Correct
Answers -Reforms after the empire fell:
1. Switching over to Roman script to write language instead of Arabic
2. Expansion of Turkish language (purging foreign words, creating new terms)
Sun Language Theory - Correct Answers -All European languages were initially derived
from the Turkish
Russian strategies - Correct Answers -Russification + Minor language development
Russification - Correct Answers -Russian Cyrillic alphabet had to be used in the writing
of al languages in the Soviet Union (in order to separate minority linguistic groups from
ethnic groups near the USSR)
Minor language development - Correct Answers -If a large number of minor languages
were spoken within an area, then the different ethnic people would not unite under any
non-Russian language
Negative planning - Correct Answers -Governments banning / heavily discouraging the
use of minority languages and dialects to control groups using their language in a
separatist method, or to unify a population
Examples of negative planning - Correct Answers -Greece - Banning Slavonic
languages; Macedonians forced to go to night school; punishments for the use of other
languages
ANSWERS
Standard language - Correct Answers -A language that can be written/standardized to
some degree by grammar
Lingua franca - Correct Answers -Language which is used for communication by
peoples whose first languages differ
National language - Correct Answers -Symbol of nation's identity; helps unify the
citizens
Official language - Correct Answers -Language that speakers have the legal right to use
in a designated official domain
Paraguay (NL, OL) - Correct Answers -Guarani, Spanish
Tanzania (NL, OL) - Correct Answers -Swahili, Swahili/English
Languages of wider communication (LWC) - Correct Answers -Use of a language in a
wide range of formal domains
Examples of LWC's - Correct Answers -Swahili in Tanzania
Urdu in Pakistan
Is English an official language in USA or Britain? - Correct Answers -No; vast majority of
the population speaks English, but it's unnecessary to state that English is the national
language
Most important factor taken into account when a government recognizes a language -
Correct Answers -Cost
What was the Philippines' national language, and what was it based on? - Correct
Answers -Pilipino / Tagalog; caused a lot of resentment based on the advantages of
national languages
Steps in the establishment and spread of a new national language - Correct Answers -1.
Selection
2. Codification
3. Lexical expansion/Elaboration of function
4. Implementation
5. Acceptance
,Selection - Correct Answers -Appropriate variety must be chosen from a set of
alternatives
Codification - Correct Answers -Selected language has to be standardized by:
1. Grammar rules
2. Dictionary
3. Written form of the language
Lexical expansion/Elaboration of function - Correct Answers -Expansion of the
vocabulary (creation of new words)
Implementation - Correct Answers -Use of the national language in:
Mass education
Radio/television
Propaganda
Acceptance - Correct Answers -Positive promotion strategies by the government
Terms related to language planning (3) - Correct Answers -1. Language planning
2. Corpus planning
3. Status planning
Language planning - Correct Answers -Activities which aim at changing linguistic
behavior
Corpus planning - Correct Answers -Activities attempting to change internal structure
(language expansion)
Status planning - Correct Answers -Efforts to change the use/function of a language (i.e.
national/official language)
Ideals of a successful national language - Correct Answers -Unifying function - Unites a
people
Separatist function - Distinguishes from other countries
Prestige - Higher status than other dialects
Function as a standard - Model of speech
Norway had two competing national languages: ________ & ________ - Correct
Answers -Bokmal & Nynorsk
Bokmal was: - Correct Answers -The language of the state (urban parts of Norway;
borrowed from Danish language)
Nynorsk was: - Correct Answers -The language of the lands (rural lands of Norway;
local Norwegian words)
, Purification - Correct Answers -Language expansion involving the development of a
new national identity
Protectionism - Correct Answers -Language expansion in order to defend an image
previously established through a national language
Lexical purification - Correct Answers -Purging a national language of words of foreign
words to restore the language to a pure state
Examples of languages that have undergone deliberate purification for political reasons
- Correct Answers -Greek (Katharevousa) - Eliminated Turkish, Italian
Italian - Pre-WWII fascism; German and Slovene names were replaced with Italian
names
Japanese - 1930s; a period of ultra-nationalism and military expansion where all foreign
words were purged out of the language
Korean - Defense of the national language (1950s-1970s); foreign words eliminated
Linguistic protectionism - Correct Answers -Process in which new words are heavily
encouraged / required to be created with strategies B/C
How did Turkey break away from the Ottoman Empire (language wise)? - Correct
Answers -Reforms after the empire fell:
1. Switching over to Roman script to write language instead of Arabic
2. Expansion of Turkish language (purging foreign words, creating new terms)
Sun Language Theory - Correct Answers -All European languages were initially derived
from the Turkish
Russian strategies - Correct Answers -Russification + Minor language development
Russification - Correct Answers -Russian Cyrillic alphabet had to be used in the writing
of al languages in the Soviet Union (in order to separate minority linguistic groups from
ethnic groups near the USSR)
Minor language development - Correct Answers -If a large number of minor languages
were spoken within an area, then the different ethnic people would not unite under any
non-Russian language
Negative planning - Correct Answers -Governments banning / heavily discouraging the
use of minority languages and dialects to control groups using their language in a
separatist method, or to unify a population
Examples of negative planning - Correct Answers -Greece - Banning Slavonic
languages; Macedonians forced to go to night school; punishments for the use of other
languages
