Question 1

Superior cognitive processing was specifically mentioned as a benefit of ________.
A)convergent thinking
B)early language instruction in infancy
C)being bilingual
D)sign language

Accepted Answer

Being bilingual has been associated with superior cognitive processing, including better attention, problem-solving skills, and multitasking abilities. This is because managing two languages enhances the brain's executive functions.

Question 2

Lalling is a sign that the child has hit which age milestone?
A)About 5 months
B)About 10 months
C)About 1 month
D)About 20 months

Accepted Answer

The answer of Lalling is a sign that the child...

Question 3

That fact that language-deprived children are generally unable to acquire normal language skills when they are found past puberty is most relevant to which of the following?
A)Lateralization
B)Sensitive periods
C)Displacement
D)Reaction range

Accepted Answer

The fact that language-deprived children struggle to acquire normal language skills past puberty highlights the concept of sensitive periods, which are specific times in development when the brain is particularly receptive to learning certain skills or knowledge.

Question 4

When passing through a remote town, Neil and Sunil are very hungry and visit the only restaurant they can find. This is an old restaurant, with a faded menu card. Although the names of many dishes are unclear and rubbed off, Neil and Sunil are able to interpret the partially legible items on the menu card. Neil and Sunil are employing __________ to read the menu card.
A)bottom-up processing
B)top-down processing
C)express scripts
D)language segmentation

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing involves using background knowledge or context to make sense of incomplete or ambiguous information, which is what Neil and Sunil are doing to interpret the partially legible menu items.

Question 5

Which of the following statements best describes the relative contributions of biological factors and the social environment on children's language acquisition? Language acquisition ________.
A)is a preprogrammed biological process that occurs with little input from the social environment
B)is a preprogrammed biological process that requires input from the social environment for normal language development
C)is a social learning process based solely on operant conditioning and imitation of adults
D)processes differ markedly across different cultures

Accepted Answer

Language acquisition is influenced by both biological predispositions and the social environment. Children are biologically equipped to learn language, but they require social interaction and exposure to language from their environment to develop their linguistic abilities fully.

Question 6

The fact that at 6 months of age young children begin to discriminate only those sounds that are specific to their native language, whereas they were previously able to perceive the entire range of phonemes found in the world's languages, is considered as evidence that ________.
A)learning interacts with biology during language acquisition
B)childhood language development can be viewed as a special case of the representativeness heuristic
C)language skills develop in parallel with auditory abilities
D)the formation of mental representations influences language development

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon demonstrates how learning (through exposure to a specific language environment) interacts with biological predispositions (the innate ability to perceive all phonemes) during the process of language acquisition.

Question 7

An acquaintance of yours has suffered a stroke and as a result, the person can no longer produce meaningful speech. Research suggests that which of the following is most likely? Your acquaintance is ________.
A)male and the stroke was in the left hemisphere
B)male and the stroke was in the right hemisphere
C)female and the stroke was in the left hemisphere
D)female and the stroke was in the right hemisphere

Accepted Answer

The inability to produce meaningful speech after a stroke is often associated with damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, where the language centers such as Broca's area are located. This condition is known as aphasia. The gender of the individual (male or female) does not directly influence the likelihood of aphasia occurring from a stroke; however, the question implies a single most likely scenario without providing a basis for gender differentiation, making the correct answer focus on the location of the stroke in the left hemisphere.

Question 8

Research on learning a second language ________.
A)has proven that the critical period for learning a second language ends around age 8
B)has proven that the critical period for learning a second language ends at the onset of puberty
C)suggests there is at least a sensitive period for learning a second language, but when the sensitive period ends is unclear
D)suggests that neither a sensitive nor critical period exists for learning a second language

Accepted Answer

Research in second language acquisition suggests that while there may not be a strict "critical period" after which learning a second language is impossible, there is evidence of a "sensitive period" during which language learning occurs more naturally and effectively. The exact end of this sensitive period is not definitively established and may vary among individuals.

Question 9

Children typically begin one-word utterances that are recognizable words that name familiar people and objects (e.g., da-da or block) around the age of ____________ months.
A)6
B)12
C)24
D)36

Accepted Answer

Children typically begin to use one-word utterances that are recognizable and name familiar people and objects around the age of 12 months. This stage is part of early language development and is often referred to as the "holophrastic" or single-word stage.

Question 10

Research on whether there is a sensitive period for acquiring a second language suggests that there is __________.
A)a sensitive period during childhood
B)a sensitive period during middle adulthood
C)a sensitive period during late adulthood
D)no such sensitive period

Accepted Answer

Research indicates a sensitive period during childhood for acquiring a second language, where language acquisition occurs more naturally and with greater ease compared to other stages of life.

Question 11

One of the arguments for the biological basis of language is that despite their differences at the ____________, all languages seem to have common underlying ____________.
A)phonemic level; structural characteristics
B)semantic level; phonemic structure
C)phonemic level; surface structure
D)semantic level; syntax

Accepted Answer

All languages, despite their phonemic differences (the sounds used in the language), share common underlying structural characteristics, such as grammar and syntax, which suggests a biological basis for language.

Question 12

A 45-year-old father and his 8-year-old son, who are both native Chinese speakers, immigrate to Canada. The father and son are equally poor at speaking and understanding English when they arrive. Assuming they experience similar amounts of exposure to the English language, which of the following is most likely to occur? The ________.
A)father will become more proficient at speaking English than the son
B)son will become more proficient at speaking English than the father
C)father and son will become proficient in speaking English at equivalent rates
D)father will become more proficient at speaking English, whereas the son will become more proficient at understanding English

Accepted Answer

The son is more likely to become more proficient at speaking English than the father due to the critical period hypothesis in language learning, which suggests that younger individuals can learn languages more easily and effectively than adults.

Question 13

A student volunteers to be a subject for a research study on brain activity and language. What part(s) of the student's brain can the researcher expect to be activated when the student is given a language task?
A)Right hemisphere only
B)Left hemisphere only
C)Right and left hemispheres
D)The entire brain

Accepted Answer

Language processing involves both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, although the left hemisphere is more dominantly associated with language functions. The right hemisphere plays a role in understanding context, tone, and the emotional content of language.

Question 14

Researchers exploring a possible critical period for learning a second language examine "early" versus "late" second-language learners ________.
A)because language learning is sensitive to the time of day
B)to control for cohort effects
C)to control for gender differences
D)because "age of acquisition" can easily be confounded with "years of exposure and practice"

Accepted Answer

Researchers examine "early" versus "late" second-language learners because "age of acquisition" can be confounded with "years of exposure and practice", making it important to distinguish between the two to understand the critical period for language learning.

Question 15

While at the park, 25-month-old Suzy points to the swing set and says, "Push swing!" After she has had enough and wants to leave, she turns to her father and says, "Go car." Utterances such as these are called ________.
A)baby talk
B)telegraphic speech
C)child-directed speech
D)child-speak

Accepted Answer

Telegraphic speech refers to the two-word phrases often used by toddlers that convey essential information without the use of function words or morphemes, similar to how telegrams were written to be concise. Suzy's phrases "Push swing!" and "Go car" are examples of this developmental stage in language acquisition.

Question 16

According to Noam Chomsky, humans have an innate biological mechanism that contains general grammatical rules called a language ______________.
A)function system
B)acquisition device
C)generation region
D)conditioning module

Accepted Answer

Chomsky introduced the concept of a "language acquisition device" (LAD), which he proposed as an innate biological mechanism pre-wired with the ability to learn and understand the general rules of a language.

Question 17

The fact that both Japanese and English (although very different) share some common structural features is evidence for a _______________ perspective on language.
A)biological
B)social learning
C)psychodynamic
D)humanistic

Accepted Answer

The biological perspective on language suggests that the capacity for language is innate to humans, which explains why different languages can share common structural features despite their diverse origins and evolutions. This perspective is supported by research in linguistics and cognitive science, indicating that the human brain is predisposed for language acquisition.

Question 18

Before 6 months of age, infants around the world are able to perceive _______________, but at about 6 months of age they begin to discriminate _____________.
A)only 5 to 10 phonemes; only the phonemes associated with their native language
B)only the phonemes associated with their native language; the phonemes of all languages
C)only 5 to 10 phonemes; the phonemes of all languages
D)the phonemes of all languages; only the phonemes associated with their native language

Accepted Answer

Before 6 months of age, infants can perceive the phonemes of all languages, but around 6 months, they begin to specialize in the phonemes of their native language, losing the ability to distinguish between phonemes not used in their native language.

Question 19

A baby is now discriminating sounds that are specific to their native tongue. What is the baby's approximate age?
A)Less than 6 months
B)6-12 months
C)12-18 months
D)18-24 months

Accepted Answer

Between 6-12 months, babies begin to fine-tune their hearing and start to focus on the sounds that are relevant to their native language, a critical period for language development.

Question 20

Most contemporary psycholinguists believe that operant conditioning ________.
A)accounts for all of language acquisition
B)accounts for most of language acquisition
C)cannot completely account for language acquisition
D)together with classical conditioning accounts for language acquisition

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning, a concept introduced by B.F. Skinner, suggests that behaviors can be learned through reinforcement and punishment. However, most contemporary psycholinguists argue that this theory cannot completely account for the complexity of language acquisition, as it does not fully explain the innate ability for language learning and the rapid acquisition of language in young children.

Quiz 9: Language and Thinking

Superior cognitive processing was specifically mentioned as a benefit of ________.

Lalling is a sign that the child has hit which age milestone?

That fact that language-deprived children are generally unable to acquire normal language skills when they are found past puberty is most relevant to which of the following?

Which of the following statements best describes the relative contributions of biological factors and the social environment on children's language acquisition? Language acquisition ________.

The fact that at 6 months of age young children begin to discriminate only those sounds that are specific to their native language, whereas they were previously able to perceive the entire range of phonemes found in the world's languages, is considered as evidence that ________.

An acquaintance of yours has suffered a stroke and as a result, the person can no longer produce meaningful speech. Research suggests that which of the following is most likely? Your acquaintance is ________.

Research on learning a second language ________.

Children typically begin one-word utterances that are recognizable words that name familiar people and objects (e.g., da-da or block) around the age of ____________ months.

Research on whether there is a sensitive period for acquiring a second language suggests that there is __________.

One of the arguments for the biological basis of language is that despite their differences at the , all languages seem to have common underlying .

A student volunteers to be a subject for a research study on brain activity and language. What part(s) of the student's brain can the researcher expect to be activated when the student is given a language task?

Researchers exploring a possible critical period for learning a second language examine "early" versus "late" second-language learners ________.

While at the park, 25-month-old Suzy points to the swing set and says, "Push swing!" After she has had enough and wants to leave, she turns to her father and says, "Go car." Utterances such as these are called ________.

According to Noam Chomsky, humans have an innate biological mechanism that contains general grammatical rules called a language ______________.

The fact that both Japanese and English (although very different) share some common structural features is evidence for a _______________ perspective on language.

Before 6 months of age, infants around the world are able to perceive ___, but at about 6 months of age they begin to discriminate _.

A baby is now discriminating sounds that are specific to their native tongue. What is the baby's approximate age?

Most contemporary psycholinguists believe that operant conditioning ________.