Test Bank for A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6th edition Bruce Rowe,
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
Chapter 1 The Nature of Communication
True/False Questions
1. Linguistic competence refers to the subconscious knowledge of
one’s language. Answer: T
2. Language is dependent on hearing or speech. Answer: F
3. In Chapter 1, we discuss various types of animal
communication because comparison of those systems of
communication can aid us in understanding human
communication. Answer: T
4. All animals have a language. Answer: F
5. Bird calls tend to be species specific. Answer: F
6. Bird songs tend to be species specific. Answer: T
7. All researchers now agree that apes can learn language. Answer: F
8. A person who stutters has a problem with linguistic competence. Answer:
F
1
, Test Bank for A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6th edition Bruce Rowe,
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
9. The fact that many new words are added to English each year
demonstrates that English, like any language, is an open system.
Answer: T
10.Birds and bees generally learn most of their communication
systems from other members of their social groups. Answer: F
11.The terms language and communication can be used
interchangeably because they mean the same thing. Answer: F
2
, Test Bank for A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6th edition Bruce Rowe,
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
12.One difference between apes’ use of sign “language” and a
human’s use of language, is that apes seldom initiate
communication whereas humans, including young children,
frequently initiate communication with others. Answer: T
13.Humans communicate in both verbal and nonverbal ways. Answer: T
14.Redundancy in a message helps overcome “static”. Answer: T
15.Bird songs are generally more elaborate than birdcalls. Answer: T
16.The characteristic of languages that allow people to coin new
words as needed is called discreteness. Answer: F
17.Linguistic forms, such as words or sentences, have an arbitrary
relationship to their meaning. Answer: T
18.Compared to nonhuman communication, human linguistic
communication tends to be stimulus-bound. Answer: F
19.The fact that a person can talk about the past or anticipate the
future illustrates the characteristic of language called displacement.
Answer: T
3
, Test Bank for A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6th edition Bruce Rowe,
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
20.Some researchers believe that Kanzi processes a basic
understanding of simple grammar. Answer: T
21.Alex the parrot, as well as the apes that have been used in language
experiments, have been able to learn language at the level of about
a five-year-old human.
Answer: F
22.Culture shock occurs when a person interacts with a person or
people from a foreign culture and disorientation and anxiety
occurs when social expectations are not met because of a lack of
knowledge of the norms of the other’s culture. Answer: T
4
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
Chapter 1 The Nature of Communication
True/False Questions
1. Linguistic competence refers to the subconscious knowledge of
one’s language. Answer: T
2. Language is dependent on hearing or speech. Answer: F
3. In Chapter 1, we discuss various types of animal
communication because comparison of those systems of
communication can aid us in understanding human
communication. Answer: T
4. All animals have a language. Answer: F
5. Bird calls tend to be species specific. Answer: F
6. Bird songs tend to be species specific. Answer: T
7. All researchers now agree that apes can learn language. Answer: F
8. A person who stutters has a problem with linguistic competence. Answer:
F
1
, Test Bank for A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6th edition Bruce Rowe,
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
9. The fact that many new words are added to English each year
demonstrates that English, like any language, is an open system.
Answer: T
10.Birds and bees generally learn most of their communication
systems from other members of their social groups. Answer: F
11.The terms language and communication can be used
interchangeably because they mean the same thing. Answer: F
2
, Test Bank for A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6th edition Bruce Rowe,
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
12.One difference between apes’ use of sign “language” and a
human’s use of language, is that apes seldom initiate
communication whereas humans, including young children,
frequently initiate communication with others. Answer: T
13.Humans communicate in both verbal and nonverbal ways. Answer: T
14.Redundancy in a message helps overcome “static”. Answer: T
15.Bird songs are generally more elaborate than birdcalls. Answer: T
16.The characteristic of languages that allow people to coin new
words as needed is called discreteness. Answer: F
17.Linguistic forms, such as words or sentences, have an arbitrary
relationship to their meaning. Answer: T
18.Compared to nonhuman communication, human linguistic
communication tends to be stimulus-bound. Answer: F
19.The fact that a person can talk about the past or anticipate the
future illustrates the characteristic of language called displacement.
Answer: T
3
, Test Bank for A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6th edition Bruce Rowe,
Diane Levine (inclusive of all chapters)2025.
20.Some researchers believe that Kanzi processes a basic
understanding of simple grammar. Answer: T
21.Alex the parrot, as well as the apes that have been used in language
experiments, have been able to learn language at the level of about
a five-year-old human.
Answer: F
22.Culture shock occurs when a person interacts with a person or
people from a foreign culture and disorientation and anxiety
occurs when social expectations are not met because of a lack of
knowledge of the norms of the other’s culture. Answer: T
4
