LINGUISTICS FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS.
The Three Generation Rule states that:
The third generation of immigrant populations is typically monolingual in the language of the
new country.
As a child, Michael's grandmother emigrated to the United States. She grew up speaking
Polish and Yiddish at home, and she learned English at school. Her son understands
Yiddish, but cannot speak it, and Michael only knows a few words of the language.
Which concept we've discussed in class best characterizes the linguistic history of this
family?
The Three Generation Shift pattern
Ms. Estevez teaches 2nd grade in a Chicago public school which has a bilingual program.
Students who enter the school as Spanish-speakers are put in classes where the language of
instruction is entirely in Spanish. However, the teachers must make sure that all of the
students switch completely to English by the 4th grade in order that they can take
standardized tests in English.
Which of the following terms is the best way to describe the type of education provided at
this school?
Subtractive Bilingual education
What is the primary source of multilingualism in the United States?
Influx of immigration (first-generation immigrants and their children are often multilingual, but
few others are).
The term "diglossia" refers to:
Languages used in different areas of life
, How do native speakers of English know that "Cali-***in-fornia" is ok, but "Califor-
***in-nia" isn't?
They unconsciously learned the pattern that determines the placement of the expletive within
words
T/F: Passive bilinguals can fluently speak and understand both languages
False
T/F: California is representative of the rest of the country with respect to what percentage
of the population uses a language other than English at home.
False
What is the status of English in the United States?
English is the de facto national language, but not the official language of the United States.
Describe the correct statement about immigration patterns and language use in the United
States:
The biggest difference in immigration patterns into the United States over the past 100 years is
the countries from which immigrants arrive, as opposed to English acquisition and use by
immigrants.
T/F: Some language varieties are more prestigious than others because of their inherent
linguistic properties.
False
T/F: The unconscious knowledge speakers have about vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence
structure, and meaning is called grammatical competence.
True
T/F: Past research that proposed that bilingualism brings cognitive disadvantages is now
known to have been methodologically flawed.
True
AND CORRECT ANSWERS.
The Three Generation Rule states that:
The third generation of immigrant populations is typically monolingual in the language of the
new country.
As a child, Michael's grandmother emigrated to the United States. She grew up speaking
Polish and Yiddish at home, and she learned English at school. Her son understands
Yiddish, but cannot speak it, and Michael only knows a few words of the language.
Which concept we've discussed in class best characterizes the linguistic history of this
family?
The Three Generation Shift pattern
Ms. Estevez teaches 2nd grade in a Chicago public school which has a bilingual program.
Students who enter the school as Spanish-speakers are put in classes where the language of
instruction is entirely in Spanish. However, the teachers must make sure that all of the
students switch completely to English by the 4th grade in order that they can take
standardized tests in English.
Which of the following terms is the best way to describe the type of education provided at
this school?
Subtractive Bilingual education
What is the primary source of multilingualism in the United States?
Influx of immigration (first-generation immigrants and their children are often multilingual, but
few others are).
The term "diglossia" refers to:
Languages used in different areas of life
, How do native speakers of English know that "Cali-***in-fornia" is ok, but "Califor-
***in-nia" isn't?
They unconsciously learned the pattern that determines the placement of the expletive within
words
T/F: Passive bilinguals can fluently speak and understand both languages
False
T/F: California is representative of the rest of the country with respect to what percentage
of the population uses a language other than English at home.
False
What is the status of English in the United States?
English is the de facto national language, but not the official language of the United States.
Describe the correct statement about immigration patterns and language use in the United
States:
The biggest difference in immigration patterns into the United States over the past 100 years is
the countries from which immigrants arrive, as opposed to English acquisition and use by
immigrants.
T/F: Some language varieties are more prestigious than others because of their inherent
linguistic properties.
False
T/F: The unconscious knowledge speakers have about vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence
structure, and meaning is called grammatical competence.
True
T/F: Past research that proposed that bilingualism brings cognitive disadvantages is now
known to have been methodologically flawed.
True
