Language, Culture and Society Prelims

I. Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following refers to the way a community uses language to express social
identity? a) Language policy
b) Code-switching
c) Social linguistics
d) Language variation
2. The study of the relationship between language and culture is called: a) Sociolinguistics
b) Ethnolinguistics
c) Psycholinguistics
d) Phonology
3. Which term describes a variety of a language spoken by a particular group, often
distinguished by social class or profession? a) Dialect
b) Jargon
c) Register
d) Pidgin
4. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis suggests that: a) Language shapes thought
b) Thought shapes language
c) Language and culture are unrelated
d) Culture does not affect language
5. A language that develops between two or more groups who do not share a common
language is known as: a) Creole
b) Dialect
c) Pidgin
d) Slang
6. What does “code-switching” refer to in linguistic terms? a) Switching between languages
or dialects in a conversation
b) Using formal language in informal settings
c) Adopting slang words from other cultures
d) Avoiding the use of specific words in conversations
7. Which of the following is a key feature of "high-context" communication? a) Clear and
direct language
b) Heavy reliance on body language and context
c) Emphasis on explicit verbal messages
d) Use of jargon and technical language
8. What does the term "linguistic relativity" refer to? a) The idea that language influences
how people think about the world
b) The belief that all languages are equally complex
c) The study of the history of languages
d) The uniformity of language across cultures
9. Which of the following is an example of "non-verbal communication"? a) Speaking a
dialect
b) Writing a letter
c) Using facial expressions
d) Reading a text
10.In sociolinguistics, the term "register" refers to: a) A variety of language used in a
particular social setting
b) The way people speak in informal contexts
c) A standardized form of language
d) A variation in a language based on geography
11.The idea that the language you speak can influence your worldview is associated with: a)
Linguistic determinism
b) Linguistic capitalism
c) Linguistic equality
d) Linguistic diversity
12.In multilingual communities, the dominant language typically used for government,
media, and education is called: a) Vernacular
b) Creole
c) Standard language
d) Pidgin
13.Which of the following is a form of communication that combines elements of two or more
languages? a) Spanglish
b) Vernacular
c) Slang
d) Idiom
14.Which factor has the least impact on the development of language within a society? a)
Economic conditions
b) Social norms
c) Climate
d) Technological advances
15.A society that values formal language and grammatical rules would be classified as
having: a) High-context communication
b) Low-context communication
c) A creole language
d) A diglossic society
16.Which of the following terms refers to language used in specific social contexts, such as
formal or informal settings? a) Style
b) Register
c) Dialect
d) Slang
17.A dialect that is spoken by a specific ethnic or social group is known as: a) Ethnolect
b) Pidgin
c) Argot
d) Lingua franca
18.The phenomenon in which a society adopts elements of another culture, especially
language, is called: a) Acculturation
b) Assimilation
c) Transculturalism
d) Ethnocentrism
19.Which of the following is an example of an "endangered" language? a) English
b) Mandarin
c) Hawaiian
d) Spanish
20.A language that has no native speakers but is used for communication between two or
more language groups is known as: a) Creole
b) Lingua franca
c) Pidgin
d) Vernacular
21.What is the term for the study of how languages vary across different social groups and
settings? a) Psycholinguistics
b) Ethnography
c) Sociolinguistics
d) Applied linguistics
22.Which of the following is a primary factor influencing language change over time? a)
Political unrest
b) Technological innovations
c) Economic growth
d) Social mobility
23.The use of language to reflect social status is most closely related to which concept? a)
Speech community
b) Social identity
c) Linguistic economy
d) Linguistic prestige
24.What type of language is used in casual conversations among friends or family members?
a) Formal language
b) Informal language
c) Academic language
d) Standard language
25.Which of the following best defines "language ideology"? a) The belief that one language
is superior to others
b) The study of how languages evolve over time
c) The belief that all languages are equally complex
d) The idea that language has no influence on culture
26.A social practice in which speakers use different varieties of language depending on the
social context is called: a) Code-switching
b) Language acquisition
c) Standardization
d) Language shift
27.Which of the following is an example of linguistic discrimination? a) A government
requiring all citizens to learn the official language
b) The rejection of a job applicant due to their accent
c) Teaching multiple languages in schools
d) The creation of a new regional dialect
28.Which of the following is a key feature of "low-context" communication? a) Ambiguity in
messages
b) Direct verbal communication
c) Heavy reliance on non-verbal cues
d) High reliance on group consensus
29.Which of the following refers to the process by which a speaker shifts from one language
or dialect to another based on the audience or context? a) Code-switching
b) Pidginization
c) Language death
d) Standardization
30.The process of integrating elements of other cultures into one's own is called: a)
Syncretism
b) Acculturation
c) Cultural diffusion
d) Assimilation
31.Which of the following is a language classification based on the number of speakers? a)
Endangered language
b) Creole
c) Vernacular language
d) Dialect
32.In a multicultural society, the interaction between languages that leads to the creation of
a new language form is called: a) Creolization
b) Code-switching
 c) Language interference
d) Language standardization
33.Which of the following is an example of a "mixed" language? a) Spanglish
b) Swahili
c) French
d) Japanese
34.What term refers to the social, historical, and cultural context in which language is used?
a) Discourse
b) Register
c) Genre
d) Speech act
35.The use of language to express cultural norms and values is known as: a) Pragmatics
b) Speech act theory
c) Cultural linguistics
d) Linguistic determinism
36.A feature of language that varies between regions but does not affect mutual
understanding is called: a) Dialect
b) Accent
c) Idiom
d) Slang
37.What term is used to describe the shift in language use as a result of migration or cultural
assimilation? a) Language loss
b) Language shift
c) Language acquisition
d) Code-switching
38.Which of the following is an example of a "prestige" variety of language? a) Standard
English
b) Pidgin
c) Creole
d) Vernacular
39.The study of language in its cultural context is the focus of which discipline? a)
Sociolinguistics
b) Pragmatics
c) Ethnolinguistics
d) Phonology
40.In which type of society is there an official language used for government and legal
matters, but other languages also thrive in informal contexts? a) Diglossic society
b) Monolingual society
c) Pidgin society
d) Linguistic society
41.The practice of using simplified language structures between speakers of different native
languages is known as: a) Code-switching
b) Pidgin
c) Dialect
d) Slang
42.In linguistic anthropology, the concept of "language ideologies" focuses on: a) The belief
systems that underlie language practices
b) The scientific study of language sounds
c) The mechanics of language acquisition
d) The distribution of language varieties across regions
43.Which of the following is an example of a situation where language can be used as a tool
of social control? a) Government policies mandating the use of the official language
 b) The use of regional dialects in daily conversation
c) Teaching multiple languages in schools
d) Promoting bilingual education
44.The "standard variety" of a language refers to: a) A dialect considered to have the highest
prestige
b) A dialect spoken by the majority of speakers
c) A pidgin language
d) A variety spoken in informal settings
45.Which of the following is a key feature of the linguistic concept of "power"? a) The ability
to dominate communication in a social setting
b) The use of a particular variety of language in formal contexts
c) The ability to use a non-standard dialect
d) The influence of language on culture
46.In which type of language community are speakers likely to use different dialects
depending on the social situation? a) Bilingual society
b) Diglossic society
c) Monolingual society
d) Linguistic minority society
47.A society that values informal, friendly communication, and relies on contextual cues
would be described as: a) High-context
b) Low-context
c) Monolingual
d) Diglossic
48.Which of the following is an example of "speech style"? a) Using formal language at a
business meeting
b) Speaking only in a foreign language
c) Using colloquial expressions in writing
d) Avoiding non-verbal cues during conversations
49.Which of the following is an example of a language being used as a symbol of ethnic
identity? a) A regional dialect used in everyday communication
b) A language revitalization movement
c) The use of English in a predominantly Spanish-speaking community
d) The blending of two languages in a multilingual country
50.The study of how people use language to perform various social functions is called: a)
Sociolinguistics
b) Pragmatics
c) Psycholinguistics
d) Historical linguistics

Answer Key:
1. c) Social linguistics
2. b) Ethnolinguistics
3. b) Jargon
4. a) Language shapes thought
5. c) Pidgin
6. a) Switching between languages or dialects in a conversation
7. b) Heavy reliance on body language and context
8. a) The idea that language influences how people think about the world
9. c) Using facial expressions
10.a) A variety of language used in a particular social setting
11.a) Linguistic determinism
12.c) Standard language
13.a) Spanglish
14.c) Climate
15.b) Low-context communication
16.b) Register
17.a) Ethnolect
18.a) Acculturation
19.c) Hawaiian
20.b) Lingua franca
21.c) Sociolinguistics
22.b) Technological innovations
23.b) Social identity
24.b) Informal language
25.a) The belief that one language is superior to others
26.a) Code-switching
27.b) The rejection of a job applicant due to their accent
28.b) Direct verbal communication
29.a) Code-switching
30.b) Acculturation
31.a) Endangered language
32.a) Creolization
33.a) Spanglish
34.a) Discourse
35.c) Cultural linguistics
36.a) Dialect
37.b) Language shift
38.a) Standard English
39.c) Ethnolinguistics
40.a) Diglossic society
41.b) Pidgin
42.a) The belief systems that underlie language practices
43.a) Government policies mandating the use of the official language
44.a) A dialect considered to have the highest prestige
45.a) The ability to dominate communication in a social setting
46.b) Diglossic society
47.a) High-context
48.a) Using formal language at a business meeting
49.b) A language revitalization movement
50.b) Pragmatics