NIC KNOWLEDGE EXAM (ASL LINGUISTICS/CULTURE) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
(VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATE 2025/2026
What are the 8 parts of speech? - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Noun
2. Pronoun
3. Verb
4. Adverb
5. Adjective
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection
What is the difference between morphology and phonology? - CORRECT ANSWER -Morphology
is the study of morphemes, the smallest meaningful unit of language.
Phonology is the study of the structure and organization of words/signs.
One can not understand morphology without understanding phonology.
The five basic parts of ASL phonology are:
Handshape
Location
Movement
Orientation
Non-Manual Signs (i.e. facial expressions)
,What is discourse analysis? - CORRECT ANSWER -A field that studies human communicative
interaction.
What are the sentence structures of English and ASL? - CORRECT ANSWER -English: Subject-
Predicate
ASL: Topic-Comment
Both typically have the subject/topic at the beginning.
Name a situation in which an interpreter is MOST likely to use transliteration. - CORRECT
ANSWER -In a classroom with a student who is late-deafened.
The most common language of all Deaf communities in USA is: - CORRECT ANSWER -American
Sign Language
RID Certification Maintenance Program requires how many CEUs annually? - CORRECT ANSWER
-(0.1 CEU = 1 hour)
2.0 credits or 20 hours per year
When figuring out what a speaker has said after missing it, an interpreter is utilizing what? -
CORRECT ANSWER -Clozure skills
The term for the rhythm and elements of language that convey emotion, emphasis, style,
contrast, and focus: - CORRECT ANSWER -Prosody
In process models, the term deverbalization refers to what? - CORRECT ANSWER -Discarding the
source language
, The RID was established when, and for what? - CORRECT ANSWER -Established in 1964; it is
meant to publish a registry of interpreters, investigate evaluation and certification systems, and
inform the public about interpreting services.
From most to least common, Deaf-Blind people utilize what methods of communication? -
CORRECT ANSWER -Close-Range Signing
Tactile Signing
Print-on-Palm
The Tadoma Method (touching face)
What is NOT important while transliterating? - CORRECT ANSWER -ASL Grammar and Classifiers
Which form if interpreting should be used for a medical appointment with a recent immigrant? -
CORRECT ANSWER -Consecutive, not Simultaneous
When a team of interpreters is voicing for a Deaf presenter, they should: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Sit very close together.
What is a term an interpreter can use when describing the challenges of interpreting for a
consumer with minimal language skills? - CORRECT ANSWER -Idiosyncratic (Unique, different)
What is the best way to tell if you are being understood by a Deaf consumer? - CORRECT
ANSWER -Notice how the consumer responds to others' questions.
Back-channel feedback ("uh-huh", head nod, quizzical look or frown, etc.)
In what kind of situations should an interpreter request a team? - CORRECT ANSWER -Lengthy
or complex assignments
(I.e. Graduation Ceremony, Conference of Deaf people, etc.)
(VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATE 2025/2026
What are the 8 parts of speech? - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Noun
2. Pronoun
3. Verb
4. Adverb
5. Adjective
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection
What is the difference between morphology and phonology? - CORRECT ANSWER -Morphology
is the study of morphemes, the smallest meaningful unit of language.
Phonology is the study of the structure and organization of words/signs.
One can not understand morphology without understanding phonology.
The five basic parts of ASL phonology are:
Handshape
Location
Movement
Orientation
Non-Manual Signs (i.e. facial expressions)
,What is discourse analysis? - CORRECT ANSWER -A field that studies human communicative
interaction.
What are the sentence structures of English and ASL? - CORRECT ANSWER -English: Subject-
Predicate
ASL: Topic-Comment
Both typically have the subject/topic at the beginning.
Name a situation in which an interpreter is MOST likely to use transliteration. - CORRECT
ANSWER -In a classroom with a student who is late-deafened.
The most common language of all Deaf communities in USA is: - CORRECT ANSWER -American
Sign Language
RID Certification Maintenance Program requires how many CEUs annually? - CORRECT ANSWER
-(0.1 CEU = 1 hour)
2.0 credits or 20 hours per year
When figuring out what a speaker has said after missing it, an interpreter is utilizing what? -
CORRECT ANSWER -Clozure skills
The term for the rhythm and elements of language that convey emotion, emphasis, style,
contrast, and focus: - CORRECT ANSWER -Prosody
In process models, the term deverbalization refers to what? - CORRECT ANSWER -Discarding the
source language
, The RID was established when, and for what? - CORRECT ANSWER -Established in 1964; it is
meant to publish a registry of interpreters, investigate evaluation and certification systems, and
inform the public about interpreting services.
From most to least common, Deaf-Blind people utilize what methods of communication? -
CORRECT ANSWER -Close-Range Signing
Tactile Signing
Print-on-Palm
The Tadoma Method (touching face)
What is NOT important while transliterating? - CORRECT ANSWER -ASL Grammar and Classifiers
Which form if interpreting should be used for a medical appointment with a recent immigrant? -
CORRECT ANSWER -Consecutive, not Simultaneous
When a team of interpreters is voicing for a Deaf presenter, they should: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Sit very close together.
What is a term an interpreter can use when describing the challenges of interpreting for a
consumer with minimal language skills? - CORRECT ANSWER -Idiosyncratic (Unique, different)
What is the best way to tell if you are being understood by a Deaf consumer? - CORRECT
ANSWER -Notice how the consumer responds to others' questions.
Back-channel feedback ("uh-huh", head nod, quizzical look or frown, etc.)
In what kind of situations should an interpreter request a team? - CORRECT ANSWER -Lengthy
or complex assignments
(I.e. Graduation Ceremony, Conference of Deaf people, etc.)
