Question 1

_____ argued that there is nothing biologically special about the acquisition of language, but _____ countered that language acquisition is different from other forms of learning.

Accepted Answer

Skinner argued that language acquisition is not biologically special and can be explained by operant conditioning and reinforcement, while Chomsky countered that language acquisition is different from other forms of learning and requires innate linguistic abilities.

Question 2

Dunbar suggested that language is to humans what _____ is to other primates.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dunbar suggested that language is to humans...

Question 3

Attempts to teach human language to chimpanzees and bonobos suggest that they can achieve a level of language comprehension equivalent to a child of _____ year(s).

Accepted Answer

The answer of Attempts to teach human language to chimpanzees...

Question 4

One distinctive feature of language is that it is regular and has rules, which we call a _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of One distinctive feature of language is that...

Question 5

One feature of human languages is that they are _____, meaning that sentences can be broken into words and words into speech sounds.

Accepted Answer

The term "discrete" refers to the fact that the elements of language (words, sounds) can be separated and analyzed as separate units. This distinguishes language from continuous systems of communication, such as animal calls or music. The other options do not capture this characteristic of language as well.

Question 6

Primate language studies have shown that chimpanzees are only capable of acquiring around _____ words.

Accepted Answer

Chimpanzees are capable of acquiring around 100 words through language studies. While they are capable of learning and using basic signs and symbols, they do not have the same ability for complex language acquisition as humans do.

Question 7

Over the years, it has been been argued by some researchers such as Alvin Liberman that speech is _____; that is to say, humans are able to recognize certain sounds used in human speech in ways that other species cannot.

Accepted Answer

The argument by researchers like Alvin Liberman is that speech is "special," meaning that humans have a unique ability to recognize and process speech sounds in ways that are distinct from other species.

Question 8

Languages are _____ in that there is no clear relationship between the form of a word and what it represents.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Languages are _____ in that there is...

Question 9

Ann and David Premack worked with a chimpanzee named Sarah; they were particularly interested in three questions. Which of the following was NOT one of their research questions?

Accepted Answer

Ann and David Premack's research with Sarah the chimpanzee focused on understanding how she learned rules for relating words to one another, grasped concepts like "name of" and "color of," and how word meaning was related to her existing knowledge. They did not specifically focus on the quantity of words Sarah could learn.

Question 10

The structure of a sentence and the rules that govern it is called _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The structure of a sentence and the...

Question 11

_____ are one species that appears to have a more complex system of communication in that they can use various types of movement to communicate the direction, distance, and quality of food.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _____ are one species that appears to...

Question 12

The rules governing the way that sounds can be combined in a particular language is called its _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The rules governing the way that sounds...

Question 13

It has been suggested by a variety of authors that the _____ of humans set the stage for language learning, creating both an ideal setting and an immediate need for learning it.

Accepted Answer

Expanded childhood provides an ideal setting and an immediate need for language learning.

Question 14

Chomsky proposed that all humans have a set of innate principles and parameters guiding the acquisition, production and comprehension, which he called _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Chomsky proposed that all humans have a...

Question 15

According to the traditional view, speech perception is processed in ____ area and speech production is processed in _____ area.

Accepted Answer

According to the traditional view, speech perception is processed in Wernicke's area, which is involved in understanding spoken language, and speech production is processed in Broca's area, which is involved in the production of speech and language.

Question 16

In both songbirds and humans, there is a ______ after which vocal learning becomes more difficult.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In both songbirds and humans, there is...

Question 17

A variety of species, including parrots, have the ability to imitate speech sounds, but primates

Accepted Answer

Primates do not have the ability to imitate speech sounds like parrots and some other species do. While some primates may be able to use gestures or other forms of communication, they do not have the ability to produce speech sounds like humans do.

Question 18

Language can be used to describe a variety of internal and external processes, and this is what enables languages, both spoken and written, to set the stage for _____ to play a role in human history that is very different from that of other species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Language can be used to describe a...

Question 19

The basic unit of sound in language is called a _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The basic unit of sound in language...

Question 20

The smallest meaningful unit in a language is referred as a _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The smallest meaningful unit in a language...

Quiz 7: Language

_ argued that there is nothing biologically special about the acquisition of language, but _ countered that language acquisition is different from other forms of learning.