Lesson 11 Quiz

The two most basic units of speech are:

Select one:
a. semantics and syntax
b. declarative and expressive utterances
c. morphemes and phonemes
d. vowels and consonants

Which of the following is TRUE about nonhuman animal communication?

Select one:
a. Although animal communication is limited, some animals can learn to use human language with ease and eventually attain the communication skills of the average 6 year old.
b. Animal communication can truly be called a language because it consists of symbols and grammar, and is generative.
c. Animals exhibit varied cries and calls, and some species’ communication meets the criteria of semanticity, generativity and displacement.
d. Although psychologists don't doubt that animals communicate, there is disagreement as to whether or such communication, even with intensive instruction, qualifies as language.

A child who uses the word "wawa" to refer not only to water but to milk, juice, and other drinks is:

Select one:
a. underextending the word
b. babbling
c. overextending the word
d. overgeneralizing a grammatical rule

The fact that language is infinitely generative means that:

Select one:
a. the relationship between a word and the thing that it refers to is arbitrary - there is no particular reason why we call babies "babies"
b. language allows us to talk beyond the here and now
c. it can be used to discuss new ideas
d. it is fluid and changes over time

Which of the following is FALSE about speech?

Select one:
a. Our difficulty learning to perceive speech sounds in other language (eg tone in Mandarin) is often the direct result of learning our native language.
b. Coarticulation means that there is no simple one-to-one mapping between letters and speech sounds.
c. You hear speech letter-by-letter, and assemble it into words and phrases so that you can understand it.
d. Speaking is a highly complex and sophisticated motor skill that takes years to develop.

Which of the following is TRUE about categorical perception?

Select one:
a. It is innate
b. It demonstrates that our perception does not accurately reflect what is physically present in the sound
c. It is unique to speech
d. It simply means that, given a choice between two phoneme categories, we can figure out which is the better match for any speech sound

Noam Chomsky accounts for children's ability to learn something as complex as language by hypothesizing the existence of a language-acquisition device in the brain. This device is:

Select one:
a. an innate mechanism that predisposes adults to speak slowly, simply, and with broad gestures when talking to young children
b. an innate mechanism that permits children to understand how to use language operantly, in order to gain rewards
c. a set of inborn aids that cue a child to attend to those who speak their language while disregarding other speakers
d. a set of inborn aids that permit children to understand the elements of grammar common to all languages and to acquire the rules specific to their own

Critical periods for language development are determined by:

Select one:
a. the number and quality of older speakers to which the child is exposed
b. biology
c. the environment
d. the deep structure of language

What are the key properties of human language?

Select one:
a. Semanticity, generativity and displacement
b. Syntax, generativity and pragmatics
c. Generativity, syntax and displacement
d. Categorical perception, generativity and displacement