Fall Semester 2025 UNISA Assignment: AFL1501 Language Through an
African Lens – Complete Solved Assignment with Step-by-Step Answers
and Exam-Focused Study Guide (Updated 2025 Edition)
Question 1:
Which of the following is a major language spoken in Nigeria?
A) Swahili
B) Yoruba
C) Zulu
D) Hausa
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Yoruba
Rationale: Yoruba is one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria and a prominent
language within the country.
Question 2:
What is the term used to describe the blend of indigenous African languages and
European languages, particularly in colonial contexts?
A) Creole
B) Pidgin
C) Dialect
D) Vernacular
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Pidgin
Rationale: Pidgin refers to simplified languages that develop as a means of
communication between speakers of different native languages, often seen in colonial
settings.
Question 3:
In African oral traditions, which of the following serves as a primary means of preserving
history and culture?
A) Written texts
B) Storytelling
C) Digital media
D) Academic journals
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Storytelling
Rationale: Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of African oral traditions that helps to
pass down knowledge, culture, and history from one generation to the next.
,Question 4:
What role does code-switching play in multilingual African communities?
A) It confuses communication.
B) It establishes linguistic hierarchy.
C) It allows speakers to express identity.
D) It is discouraged among speakers.
CORRECT ANSWER: C) It allows speakers to express identity.
Rationale: Code-switching reflects the speakers' linguistic flexibility and is often a
means of expressing cultural and social identity in multilingual settings.
Question 5:
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of African proverbs?
A) They are often metaphorical.
B) They convey moral lessons.
C) They are usually lengthy.
D) They reflect cultural values.
CORRECT ANSWER: C) They are usually lengthy.
Rationale: African proverbs are typically concise and impactful, conveying profound
meanings in just a few words.
Question 6:
Which language family includes languages such as Swahili and Zulu?
A) Afro-Asiatic
B) Nilo-Saharan
C) Niger-Congo
D) Khoisan
CORRECT ANSWER: C) Niger-Congo
Rationale: The Niger-Congo family includes many of the languages spoken in sub-
Saharan Africa, including both Swahili and Zulu.
Question 7:
What linguistic feature is commonly found in many African languages?
A) Tones
B) Alphabetic scripts
, C) Inflection
D) Fixed word order
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Tones
Rationale: Many African languages, such as Yoruba, are tonal, meaning the pitch or
tone used can change the meaning of a word.
Question 8:
Which of the following best describes the term "linguistic relativity"?
A) All languages are equally complex.
B) The structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview.
C) Languages evolve independently of each other.
D) Language is solely a communication tool.
CORRECT ANSWER: B) The structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview.
Rationale: Linguistic relativity suggests that the language we speak influences our
thoughts and perceptions of the world.
Question 9:
What is a common purpose of proverbs in African cultures?
A) To entertain
B) To confuse children
C) To promote tourism
D) To transmit laws
CORRECT ANSWER: A) To entertain
Rationale: While proverbs convey wisdom and moral lessons, they also serve to
entertain and engage the audience through stories.
Question 10:
Which of the following scripts is used for writing the Amharic language?
A) Latin
B) Cyrillic
C) Ge'ez
D) Arabic
CORRECT ANSWER: C) Ge'ez
Rationale: The Ge'ez script is used to write Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia.
African Lens – Complete Solved Assignment with Step-by-Step Answers
and Exam-Focused Study Guide (Updated 2025 Edition)
Question 1:
Which of the following is a major language spoken in Nigeria?
A) Swahili
B) Yoruba
C) Zulu
D) Hausa
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Yoruba
Rationale: Yoruba is one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria and a prominent
language within the country.
Question 2:
What is the term used to describe the blend of indigenous African languages and
European languages, particularly in colonial contexts?
A) Creole
B) Pidgin
C) Dialect
D) Vernacular
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Pidgin
Rationale: Pidgin refers to simplified languages that develop as a means of
communication between speakers of different native languages, often seen in colonial
settings.
Question 3:
In African oral traditions, which of the following serves as a primary means of preserving
history and culture?
A) Written texts
B) Storytelling
C) Digital media
D) Academic journals
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Storytelling
Rationale: Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of African oral traditions that helps to
pass down knowledge, culture, and history from one generation to the next.
,Question 4:
What role does code-switching play in multilingual African communities?
A) It confuses communication.
B) It establishes linguistic hierarchy.
C) It allows speakers to express identity.
D) It is discouraged among speakers.
CORRECT ANSWER: C) It allows speakers to express identity.
Rationale: Code-switching reflects the speakers' linguistic flexibility and is often a
means of expressing cultural and social identity in multilingual settings.
Question 5:
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of African proverbs?
A) They are often metaphorical.
B) They convey moral lessons.
C) They are usually lengthy.
D) They reflect cultural values.
CORRECT ANSWER: C) They are usually lengthy.
Rationale: African proverbs are typically concise and impactful, conveying profound
meanings in just a few words.
Question 6:
Which language family includes languages such as Swahili and Zulu?
A) Afro-Asiatic
B) Nilo-Saharan
C) Niger-Congo
D) Khoisan
CORRECT ANSWER: C) Niger-Congo
Rationale: The Niger-Congo family includes many of the languages spoken in sub-
Saharan Africa, including both Swahili and Zulu.
Question 7:
What linguistic feature is commonly found in many African languages?
A) Tones
B) Alphabetic scripts
, C) Inflection
D) Fixed word order
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Tones
Rationale: Many African languages, such as Yoruba, are tonal, meaning the pitch or
tone used can change the meaning of a word.
Question 8:
Which of the following best describes the term "linguistic relativity"?
A) All languages are equally complex.
B) The structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview.
C) Languages evolve independently of each other.
D) Language is solely a communication tool.
CORRECT ANSWER: B) The structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview.
Rationale: Linguistic relativity suggests that the language we speak influences our
thoughts and perceptions of the world.
Question 9:
What is a common purpose of proverbs in African cultures?
A) To entertain
B) To confuse children
C) To promote tourism
D) To transmit laws
CORRECT ANSWER: A) To entertain
Rationale: While proverbs convey wisdom and moral lessons, they also serve to
entertain and engage the audience through stories.
Question 10:
Which of the following scripts is used for writing the Amharic language?
A) Latin
B) Cyrillic
C) Ge'ez
D) Arabic
CORRECT ANSWER: C) Ge'ez
Rationale: The Ge'ez script is used to write Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia.
