Chapter 8: Sociolinguistics MCQs

 

 

Chapter 8: Sociolinguistics MCQs

1.   What does sociolinguistics study?
A) The structure of language sounds
B) How language varies and functions in society
C) The historical development of languages
D) The rules of grammar
Answer: B

2.   A dialect is best described as:
A) A completely different language
B) A variety of a language specific to a region or social group
C) An individual’s unique way of speaking
D) Formal language used in schools
Answer: B

3.   Which term refers to an individual's unique speech pattern?
A) Dialect
B) Register
C) Idiolect
D) Sociolect
Answer: C

4.   What does register refer to?
A) The history of a language
B) Variation in language use depending on social context
C) A regional accent
D) The phonetic alphabet
Answer: B

5.   Which of the following is NOT a factor causing language variation?
A) Region
B) Social class
C) Weather
D) Age
Answer: C

6.   Multilingualism is:
A) The use of one language exclusively
B) The ability to speak two or more languages
C) Changing words in a sentence
D) Using slang terms in speech
Answer: B

7.   Code-switching occurs when:
A) Someone changes topics abruptly
B) A speaker alternates between languages or dialects within conversation
C) Someone repeats words twice
D) A language dies out
Answer: B

8.   Which of these is an example of code-switching?
A) Speaking only in English
B) Saying “Hola, how are you?” mixing Spanish and English
C) Speaking a formal language only
D) Using slang in conversation
Answer: B

9.   Language attitudes refer to:
A) How people perceive and evaluate language varieties
B) The grammar rules of a language
C) The pronunciation of words
D) Writing skills of a language
Answer: A

10.                  Prestige dialects are:
A) Considered to be socially desirable and high status
B) Always the oldest dialects
C) Spoken by children only
D) Used only in written form
Answer: A

11.                  Which of the following is an example of language change?
A) Using different dialects simultaneously
B) The Great Vowel Shift in English
C) Speaking two languages fluently
D) Switching registers from formal to informal
Answer: B

12.                  A sociolect is:
A) Language variety linked to a social class or group
B) The unique language of an individual
C) A formal speech style
D) A regional accent
Answer: A

13.                  Which of the following best describes a pidgin?
A) A fully developed language with native speakers
B) A simplified language developed for communication between groups without a common language
C) An ancient language no longer spoken
D) A dialect with limited vocabulary
Answer: B

14.                  The study of language in social context is called:
A) Phonology
B) Morphology
C) Sociolinguistics
D) Syntax
Answer: C

15.                  What is an example of a register?
A) Legal language used in court
B) English spoken in Texas
C) The way a single person speaks
D) The written form of a language
Answer: A

16.                  Which factor does NOT contribute to language variation?
A) Gender
B) Social class
C) Geographic location
D) Time of day
Answer: D

17.                  Code-switching can be used to:
A) Exclude certain people from a conversation
B) Express group identity
C) Indicate a change of topic
D) All of the above
Answer: D

18.                  Which of the following describes an idiolect?
A) Language spoken by a large group
B) The speech habits of a particular social class
C) A person’s individual language use
D) A formal style of speech
Answer: C

19.                  The term 'language policy' refers to:
A) Rules about grammar and vocabulary
B) Decisions by authorities about which languages are used or promoted
C) The way children learn language
D) The sound system of a language
Answer: B

20.                  Which of the following is an example of a stigmatized dialect?
A) Received Pronunciation (RP) in England
B) Cockney accent
C) Standard American English
D) Formal written English
Answer: B

21.                  Which of the following best explains why languages change?
A) Because people learn new vocabulary daily
B) Due to contact with other languages and social factors
C) Because people forget words
D) Because grammar never changes
Answer: B

22.                  Which of these is NOT a feature of dialects?
A) Different accents
B) Different vocabulary
C) Different grammar
D) Completely different languages
Answer: D

23.                  The Great Vowel Shift was:
A) A major change in English pronunciation
B) A change in vocabulary in Spanish
C) A type of code-switching
D) A dialect in the US
Answer: A

24.                  Which social factor often influences language use?
A) Gender
B) Age
C) Ethnicity
D) All of the above
Answer: D

25.                  Multilingual communities typically:
A) Use one language exclusively
B) Avoid switching languages
C) Use multiple languages and often code-switch
D) Speak only minority languages
Answer: C

26.                  Which statement about registers is true?
A) Registers never change depending on context
B) Registers reflect differences in formality or topic
C) Everyone uses the same register all the time
D) Registers are the same as dialects
Answer: B

27.                  An example of social deixis would be:
A) Using “here” to indicate location
B) Using “sir” or “madam” to show respect
C) Saying “now” to indicate time
D) Saying “this” to point to something in a text
Answer: B

28.                  Which of these is a result of language contact?
A) Language death
B) Borrowing words from other languages
C) Code-switching
D) All of the above
Answer: D

29.                  A pidgin becomes a creole when:
A) It becomes the native language of a community
B) It is used only in business
C) It has no grammar
D) It is spoken by only a few people
Answer: A

30.                  Which of the following is true about language attitudes?
A) They have no effect on language use
B) They influence how speakers feel about different dialects or languages
C) They are always positive
D) They are unrelated to social identity
Answer: B

31.                  What is the term for language variation based on geographic area?
A) Sociolect
B) Idiolect
C) Dialect
D) Register
Answer: C

32.                  When people switch from formal to informal language depending on the situation, they are changing their:
A) Dialect
B) Idiolect
C) Register
D) Accent
Answer: C

33.                  Which of the following is NOT a cause of language change?
A) Language contact
B) Natural evolution of grammar and pronunciation
C) Lack of use of a language
D) Strict government enforcement
Answer: D

34.                  What term describes language used in professional or specialized settings?
A) Register
B) Dialect
C) Code-switching
D) Idiolect
Answer: A

35.                  A key feature of a sociolect is:
A) It is unique to one individual
B) It is linked to a social group like a class or ethnicity
C) It is always formal
D) It is never influenced by geography
Answer: B

36.                  Which term describes the influence of language on social relationships and power?
A) Sociolinguistics
B) Language policy
C) Language and power
D) Register
Answer: C

37.                  Which of the following is an example of a prestigious accent?
A) Cockney
B) Received Pronunciation
C) Appalachian English
D) A local dialect
Answer: B

38.                  Code-switching often serves to:
A) Show social identity
B) Indicate emotions or emphasis
C) Fill gaps in vocabulary
D) All of the above
Answer: D

39.                  Which of the following is NOT an example of language policy?
A) Official recognition of a national language
B) Banning certain languages in schools
C) Individual speech patterns
D) Promotion of minority languages
Answer: C

40.                  Which of these can be a cause of language death?
A) Loss of native speakers
B) Government policies favoring dominant languages
C) Cultural assimilation
D) All of the above
Answer: D

41.                  A major reason languages borrow words from others is:
A) Language isolation
B) Language contact through trade, migration, or colonization
C) To make language harder to learn
D) Because grammar changes quickly
Answer: B

42.                  Which of the following best describes an accent?
A) Vocabulary differences
B) Differences in pronunciation
C) Grammar differences
D) Language policy
Answer: B

43.                  Which social factor is LEAST likely to influence language variation?
A) Ethnicity
B) Eye color
C) Social class
D) Gender
Answer: B

44.                  In sociolinguistics, a ‘standard language’ is:
A) The dialect with the most speakers worldwide
B) The variety used in official communication and education
C) The oldest form of the language
D) A language with no dialects
Answer: B

45.                  Which of the following is a characteristic of a creole language?
A) It has no native speakers
B) It arises from a pidgin becoming the native language of a community
C) It is a dialect of a major language
D) It is always a written language only
Answer: B

46.                  Which of these best describes ‘language planning’?
A) Studying the historical development of language
B) Deliberate efforts to influence language use in a community
C) Learning new vocabulary
D) Changing pronunciation over time
Answer: B

47.                  Which of the following is an example of social deixis?
A) “Here” indicating location
B) “Now” indicating time
C) Using “Dr.” as a title to show status
D) “This” indicating a part of discourse
Answer: C

48.                  Language variation that is socially motivated is known as:
A) Dialect
B) Idiolect
C) Sociolect
D) Accent
Answer: C

49.                  Which of the following is an example of a language attitude?
A) Believing a certain dialect sounds prestigious
B) Using informal language with friends
C) Speaking two languages fluently
D) Changing register based on formality
Answer: A

50.                  Which is NOT typically studied by sociolinguists?
A) How people switch languages
B) How language reflects identity
C) How sounds are produced in the mouth
D) How language changes in social contexts
Answer: C