Question 1

When an infant begins to make non-crying vocalizations that consist mainly of vowel sounds,this is called
A) babbling.
B) telegraphic speech.
C) prevocal learning.
D) cooing.

Accepted Answer

When an infant begins to make non-crying vocalizations that consist mainly of vowel sounds, it is called cooing. Babbling refers to the stage where infants start to experiment with consonants and combine them with vowels. Telegraphic speech is a two-word stage during language development, and prevocal learning is not a recognized term in developmental psychology.

Question 2

When an infant is capable of perceiving the phonemes in every language,they are in the ___ stage.
A) babbling
B) telegraphic speech
C) prevocal learning
D) cooing

Accepted Answer

The stage when an infant is capable of perceiving the phonemes in every language is called prevocal learning. During this stage, infants are able to distinguish between the different sounds used in every language, before they begin to babble or produce any meaningful words. Cooing and babbling are earlier stages and telegraphic speech is a later stage in language development.

Question 3

Chandran received his paper back from his English teacher,Ms.Li.She informed him that adverbs follow the verbs they modify in sentence order.What level of language analysis does this represent?
A) syntax
B) semantics
C) morphology
D) pragmatics

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the study of sentence structure and how words are organized to convey meaning. In this case, the teacher's feedback is related to the placement of adverbs in relation to verbs within a sentence, which falls under the category of syntax.

Question 4

Corinne and Maia are text messaging back and forth.Although Maia's latest message is clear,Corinne CANNOT tell if her friend is angry with her or NOT.Which of the following would be missing in a text message that would be present during face-to-face conversation?
A) grammar
B) semantics
C) pragmatics
D) syntax

Accepted Answer

Pragmatics refers to the context and nonverbal cues that are present in face-to-face conversation but often absent in text messages. These cues can help clarify the intended meaning and tone of a message.

Question 5

Jadine is born in China and hears nothing but Mandarin Chinese for the first 4 months of her life.At that point,she is adopted by a Canadian couple.Which of the following statements best describes Jadine's ability to learn English?
A) Jadine will learn English in the same way other Canadian children would.
B) Jadine will learn English, but will be slightly delayed as she will be accustomed to Chinese phonemes.
C) Jadine will be able to learn English, but will also speak Chinese due to the early exposure to Chinese phonemes.
D) Jadine will have great difficulty learning English because she would already have lost her ability to distinguish English phonemes.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that children have the ability to learn any language in the world if they are exposed to it before the age of 6, and Jadine was exposed to Mandarin Chinese for only the first four months of her life. Therefore, she will learn English in the same way as other Canadian children, as long as she is exposed to English from an early age. While it is possible that Jadine may have some initial difficulty with English phonemes due to her early exposure to Chinese phonemes, this would not significantly impede her ability to learn English.

Question 6

The biological approach to language development is associated with
A) B. F. Skinner.
B) Benjamin Whorf.
C) Noam Chomsky.
D) Amos Tversky.

Accepted Answer

The biological approach to language development is closely associated with Noam Chomsky, who proposed that language acquisition is innate and genetically determined. Chomsky argued that children are born with a unique language acquisition device (LAD) that allows them to automatically recognize and internalize the rules of language. This theory challenged the behaviorist approach proposed by B.F. Skinner, who believed that language was learned through reinforcement and conditioning. Benjamin Whorf is associated with the theory of linguistic relativity, which suggests that language shapes our perception of reality. Amos Tversky is known for his research on cognitive psychology and decision-making, but not specifically for language development.

Question 7

Which of the following sequences correctly orders the components of language,from the smallest or most specific to the broadest?
A) phoneme ? morpheme ? syntax
B) syntax ? morpheme ? phoneme
C) phoneme ? syntax ? morpheme
D) syntax ? phoneme ? morpheme

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language. Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language. Syntax refers to the rules governing the structure of sentences in a language. Therefore, phoneme (smallest) comes first, followed by morpheme, and then syntax (broadest). This order can be remembered by the mnemonic "PMS" (Phoneme, Morpheme, Syntax).

Question 8

Anthony is 3 years old.Bryce is 4 years old.Which option best describes these boys' pragmatic and syntactic development?
A) Both boys display some syntactic sophistication. Bryce, though, has also developed some pragmatic skill.
B) Both boys display some pragmatic sophistication. Bryce, though, has also acquired many of the rules of grammar.
C) Both boys display sophisticated pragmatic and syntactic use of language.
D) Each of these boys has acquired only the rudiments of either pragmatics or syntax.

Accepted Answer

Bryce has developed some pragmatic skill and acquired many of the rules of grammar, which indicates that he has some syntactic sophistication.

Question 9

You are creating a language development timeline for a class presentation.Along the top of a display board,you write the following ages in sequence: 3 months ? 6 months ? 1 year ? 2 years.How should you label these ages,from youngest to oldest?
A) prevocal learning ? babbling ? first words ? telegraphic speech
B) babbling ? prevocal learning ? first words ? telegraphic speech
C) babbling ? first words ? telegraphic speech ? pragmatic speech
D) prevocal learning ? first words ? telegraphic speech ? syntactic competence

Accepted Answer

The correct sequence from youngest to oldest in language development is: prevocal learning (cooing and going sounds without producing actual words, typically around 3 months), babbling (repeating syllables, such as "ba-ba," around 6 months), first words (simple words around 1 year), and telegraphic speech (two-word sentences, such as "want cookie," around 2 years).

Question 10

What is the relationship,if any,between language comprehension and language production among young children in the "first words" stage?
A) There is no systematic relationship between language comprehension and language production at this point: It varies from child to child.
B) Language comprehension generally exceeds language production at this stage.
C) Language comprehension generally lags language production at this stage.
D) Language comprehension ability is generally equivalent to language production ability at this point.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that language comprehension tends to initially exceed language production in young children in the "first words" stage. Children may understand many more words than they can produce themselves, and they may start to use single words before they can form complete sentences.

Question 11

As you are sitting in a restaurant,you are observing the other people sitting around you.Although you CANNOT hear them,you can tell that the couple in the corner are having an argument.What information might give you that information?
A) semantics
B) pragmatics
C) phonology
D) syntax

Accepted Answer

Pragmatics refers to the study of language in context, including the speaker's intentions and the listener's interpretations of meaning. Based on the observed body language and facial expressions of the couple in the corner, a person could infer that they are having an argument, even if they cannot hear them. This inference would be based on the pragmatic understanding of social cues and nonverbal communication. Semantics refers to the study of meaning and word relationships, phonology refers to the study of the sound system of language, and syntax refers to the study of sentence structure. While these areas of linguistics may play a role in understanding spoken language, they would not necessarily provide information about the couple's argument in this particular scenario.

Question 12

The difference between a morpheme and a phoneme is that a morpheme is ___ and a phoneme is ___.
A) the system for using words; the system for using grammar
B) the dictionary meaning of a word; how the word sounds
C) practical aspects of language use; the non-verbal communication that occurs with language
D) the smallest unit of meaning in a language; the smallest unit of sound in a language

Accepted Answer

A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a language, such as "un-" or "-able" in the word "unbelievable." A phoneme, on the other hand, is the smallest unit of sound in a language. For example, the word "cat" has three phonemes: /k/ /æ/ /t/.

Question 13

A team of researchers computes correlation coefficients between family income and the number of words children hear each hour in the home and between family income and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions that children hear.What sorts of coefficients are the researchers likely to find?
A) They should find a positive correlation between family income and the number of words children hear, but a near-zero correlation between family income and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions that children hear.
B) They should find a near-zero correlation between family income and the number of words children hear, but a positive correlation between family income and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions that children hear.
C) They should find near-zero correlations between family income and both the number of words children hear and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions that they hear.
D) They should find positive correlations between family income and both the number of words children hear and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions that they hear.

Accepted Answer

Based on previous research, there is a positive correlation between family income and the number of words children hear in the home, as more affluent families tend to have more resources available for language development. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between family income and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions, as higher-income families tend to have more positive and encouraging communication styles. Therefore, the researchers are most likely to find positive correlations between family income and both the number of words children hear and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions.

Question 14

Dorian is 18 months old; Constance is 3 years old.Dorian's vocabulary probably contains about ___ words.Constance's vocabulary contains about ___ words.
A) 50; 500
B) 100; 500
C) 50; 1000
D) 100; 1000

Accepted Answer

According to research, the average 18-month-old has a vocabulary of around 50 words, while the average 3-year-old has a vocabulary of around 1,000 words. Therefore, C is the best choice as it matches both of these estimates.

Question 15

Grammar is to meaning as ___ is to ___.
A) semantics; syntax
B) syntax; semantics
C) syntax; phoneme
D) phoneme; semantics

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the structure of language (similar to grammar), while semantics deals with meaning.

Question 16

By what age do normally-developing babies begin to babble?
A) approximately 1 month
B) approximately 3 months
C) approximately 6 months
D) approximately 9 months

Accepted Answer

Babbling typically begins around the age of 6 months for normally-developing babies.

Question 17

Carden believes that all babies are pre-programmed to learn language as evidenced by their natural ability to detect phonemes,and how rapidly they learn language.He has even gone so far as to suggest that our brains have built-in structures to allow us to acquire language.Which theorist would Carden's beliefs support?
A) B. F. Skinner
B) Naom Chomsky
C) Benjamin Whorf
D) Amos Tversky

Accepted Answer

Carden's belief that babies are pre-programmed to learn language and the suggestion that our brains have built-in structures to allow us to acquire language align with the theories of Naom Chomsky, who argued for the existence of a language acquisition device (LAD) in the human brain that facilitates language learning. Skinner would not support the idea of innate language structures and Whorf's linguistic relativity theory is unrelated to the biological basis of language acquisition. Amos Tversky was a cognitive psychologist known for his work on decision-making, but he did not have a theory of language acquisition.

Question 18

Gustav is an infant from Germany,Anthony is an infant from Canada,and Daichi is an infant from Japan.Which infant is likely to develop language first?
A) Gustav. Western European infants develop language about one month earlier than other infants.
B) Anthony. Canadian and American infants develop language about one month earlier than other infants.
C) Daichi. Asian infants develop language about one month earlier than other infants.
D) There is no way to predict. Most infants worldwide develop language at approximately the same rate.

Accepted Answer

While there may be some cultural and environmental factors that influence early language development, overall there is no significant difference among infants from different parts of the world in terms of language development. Additionally, factors such as individual temperament and genetic factors may also play a role in language development, making it difficult to predict which infant may develop language first.

Question 19

"Sophie kitty," Tara says,when her aunt asks her whether the stuffed animal belongs to her or to her sister.Tara's reply explains that the cat belongs to her sister and exemplifies ___ speech.
A) telegraphic
B) holographic
C) idiographic
D) agrammatic

Accepted Answer

Tara's reply is short and to the point, with only the necessary information communicated. This is characteristic of telegraphic speech, commonly seen in young children who are still developing language skills.

Question 20

Tina is 6 months old; Vikrant is 1 year old; and Wayne is 2 years old.Which option below correctly pairs each child with the appropriate language development stage or phenomenon?
A) Tina - prevocal learning; Vikrant - babbling; Wayne - first words
B) Tina - babbling; Vikrant - telegraphic speech; Wayne - first words
C) Tina - prevocal learning; Vikrant - first words; Wayne - telegraphic speech
D) Tina - babbling; Vikrant - first words; Wayne - telegraphic speech

Accepted Answer

According to typical language development stages, at 6 months old, Tina should be in the babbling stage, which is making speech-like sounds that are not yet actual words. At 1 year old, Vikrant should have progressed to producing his first words. And at 2 years old, Wayne should be using telegraphic speech, which is speech that includes mainly content words without function words or grammatical markers. Therefore, the only choice that accurately matches each child with their appropriate language development stage is D: Tina - babbling; Vikrant - first words; Wayne - telegraphic speech.

Quiz 9: Language and Thought

When an infant begins to make non-crying vocalizations that consist mainly of vowel sounds,this is called

When an infant is capable of perceiving the phonemes in every language,they are in the ___ stage.

Chandran received his paper back from his English teacher,Ms.Li.She informed him that adverbs follow the verbs they modify in sentence order.What level of language analysis does this represent?

Corinne and Maia are text messaging back and forth.Although Maia's latest message is clear,Corinne CANNOT tell if her friend is angry with her or NOT.Which of the following would be missing in a text message that would be present during face-to-face conversation?

Jadine is born in China and hears nothing but Mandarin Chinese for the first 4 months of her life.At that point,she is adopted by a Canadian couple.Which of the following statements best describes Jadine's ability to learn English?

The biological approach to language development is associated with

Which of the following sequences correctly orders the components of language,from the smallest or most specific to the broadest?

Anthony is 3 years old.Bryce is 4 years old.Which option best describes these boys' pragmatic and syntactic development?

You are creating a language development timeline for a class presentation.Along the top of a display board,you write the following ages in sequence: 3 months ? 6 months ? 1 year ? 2 years.How should you label these ages,from youngest to oldest?

What is the relationship,if any,between language comprehension and language production among young children in the "first words" stage?

As you are sitting in a restaurant,you are observing the other people sitting around you.Although you CANNOT hear them,you can tell that the couple in the corner are having an argument.What information might give you that information?

The difference between a morpheme and a phoneme is that a morpheme is _ and a phoneme is _.

A team of researchers computes correlation coefficients between family income and the number of words children hear each hour in the home and between family income and the ratio of affirmations to prohibitions that children hear.What sorts of coefficients are the researchers likely to find?

Dorian is 18 months old; Constance is 3 years old.Dorian's vocabulary probably contains about _ words.Constance's vocabulary contains about _ words.

Grammar is to meaning as _ is to _.

By what age do normally-developing babies begin to babble?

Gustav is an infant from Germany,Anthony is an infant from Canada,and Daichi is an infant from Japan.Which infant is likely to develop language first?

"Sophie kitty," Tara says,when her aunt asks her whether the stuffed animal belongs to her or to her sister.Tara's reply explains that the cat belongs to her sister and exemplifies ___ speech.

Tina is 6 months old; Vikrant is 1 year old; and Wayne is 2 years old.Which option below correctly pairs each child with the appropriate language development stage or phenomenon?