Language MCQs
Language MCQs
Our experts have gathered these Language MCQs through research, and we hope that you will be able to see how much knowledge base you have for the subject of Language by answering these 20 multiple-choice questions.
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1: The existence of pidgin and creole languages suggests that humans possess a universal linguistic acquisition device, known as the ______.
A. Linguistic module
B. Universal grammar
C. Generalized structure
D. Universal language
2: Why are primate vocalizations considered non-arbitrary?
A. They can only be produced in the presence of specific stimuli.
B. They typically refer to specific moments in the past.
C. They mimic the sound of the referent (e.g., a predator).
D. They are based on complex symbols.
3: How many morphemes comprise the word “bipedalism”?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
4: In a laboratory setting, non-human primates have demonstrated which of the following abilities?
A. Producing complex, articulate speech
B. Understanding grammar and syntax
C. Total fluency in American Sign Language
D. Using language at the level of a two-year-old human
5: Which of the following was likely a strong selective factor (i.e., conferred a survival benefit) in the emergence of human language capabilities, according to Barnard?
A. Storytelling and the ability to communicate about kin
B. The ability to strategize battle
C. The ability to create long-distance trade networks
D. The ability to keep debt ledgers
6: Following the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, how might binary gender-specific pronouns (she/he) influence the perception of gender diversity?
A. They impose finite categorical boundaries on gender.
B. They reflect a biological reality.
C. They automatically create a hierarchy.
D. They should be abolished.
7: Which of the following key terms refers to the human ability to create infinite utterances using “finite media”?
A. Productivity
B. Displacement
C. Arbitrariness
D. Articulation
8: Which of the following topics would be correctly associated with kinesics?
A. The various meanings of a wink
B. Language and motor skills acquisition in toddlers
C. The Bantu expansion
D. Honorifics in Japanese language
9: The human tendency to pass down cultural knowledge through traditional stories depends on which of the following linguistic capabilities?
A. Productivity
B. Displacement
C. Arbitrariness
D. Articulation
10: Which of the following is an example of a minimal pair?
A. Cat and caterpillar
B. Bus and buzz
C. Small and smallest
D. By and bye
11: Communication is the act of _____ information.
A. Organizing
B. Transferring
C. Interpreting
D. Changing
12: Dialect is a linguistic pattern involving differences in _____ that occurs within a common language family.
A. Pronunciation
B. Vocabulary
C. Syntax
D. All of these
13: Ethologist is a scientist who studies the behaviors of animals in their _____ setting.
A. Natural
B. Artificial
C. Both
D. None
14: Kinesics is the study of body motion and gestures used in _____ communication.
A. Verbal
B. Nonverbal
C. Both
D. None
15: _____ is a system of symbols with standard meanings through which members of a society communicate with one another.
A. Signs
B. Meaning
C. Gesture
D. Language
16: Morphemes is the _____ unit of a language that convey meaning.
A. Smallest
B. Largest
C. First
D. Both a and c
17: The study of morphemes is known as Morphology.
A. True
B. False
18: A basic unit of sound that distinguishes meaning in a language is known as_____
A. Morpheme
B. Phoneme
C. Propheme
D. None of these
19: Phones refer to units of _____ in a language.
A. Sign
B. Sound
C. Symbol
D. All of these
20: The study of the _____ made in speech is known as Phonology.
A. Meanings
B. Symbols
C. Sound
D. All of these
21: The rules for using language within a particular speech community refer to_____
A. Pragmatics
B. Proxemics
C. Semantics
D. Both a and b
22: Protolanguage is the parent language for many _____ languages.
A. Ancient
B. Modern
C. Both
D. None
23: The study of how people in different societies perceive and use space is known as_____
A. Pragmatics
B. Proxemics
C. Semantics
D. Both a and b
24: Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is the hypothesis that assumes a close relationship between language and culture, claiming that language defines people’s_____
A. Values
B. Beliefs
C. Experiences
D. Both a and b
25: Semantics refer to the meaning of _____
A. Words
B. Phrases
C. Sentences
D. All of these
26: Syntax refers to rules for _____ construction in a language.
A. Phrase
B. Sentence
C. Word
D. Both a and b
Language MCQs
