Language and Cognition: MCQ Test on Language Processing and Acquisition
Questions: 30
Questions
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1. What is the primary function of Broca's area in the brain?
- a) Understanding language
- b) Producing speech
- c) Reading and writing
- d) Storing new vocabulary
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2. Which of the following is an example of "syntax" in language?
- a) The meaning of words
- b) The structure and rules of sentence formation
- c) The emotional tone of speech
- d) The speed of speech delivery
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3. What is "semantic memory" in language processing?
- a) Memory for personal events
- b) Memory for visual information
- c) Memory for facts and meanings of words
- d) Memory for motor skills
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4. The "phoneme" in language refers to:
- a) The smallest unit of meaning in a word
- b) The smallest unit of sound in speech
- c) The grammatical structure of a sentence
- d) The rules governing word usage
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5. What does "language acquisition" refer to?
- a) The process of learning to read and write
- b) The development of phonological awareness
- c) The ability to learn and understand a language
- d) The process of learning new vocabulary
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6. Which theory suggests that humans are born with an innate ability to learn language?
- a) Nativist theory
- b) Interactionist theory
- c) Cognitive theory
- d) Social learning theory
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7. Which of the following is a key aspect of "pragmatics" in language use?
- a) Understanding the literal meaning of words
- b) Understanding how context influences the meaning of language
- c) Learning new words through direct instruction
- d) Knowing the sounds of words
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8. The term "critical period" in language acquisition refers to:
- a) The time when individuals develop advanced vocabulary
- b) The specific window during which language acquisition occurs most easily
- c) The period when language learning slows down
- d) The time when children stop learning grammar
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9. What is "morphology" in the context of language?
- a) The study of meaning in words
- b) The study of sentence structure
- c) The study of word forms and their components (morphemes)
- d) The study of language sound systems
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10. Which of the following best describes "linguistic relativity"?
- a) The idea that language influences thought and perception
- b) The ability to learn multiple languages
- c) The process of forming new words
- d) The relationship between syntax and grammar
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11. "Aphasia" refers to:
- a) The ability to understand language but not produce it
- b) A language disorder caused by brain damage
- c) The process of acquiring a second language
- d) The ability to read and write fluently
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12. What is the primary role of Wernicke's area in language?
- a) Producing speech sounds
- b) Understanding and processing spoken language
- c) Storing new vocabulary words
- d) Formulating grammatical sentences
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13. What is "word segmentation" in language processing?
- a) The ability to understand the meaning of words
- b) The process of identifying individual words in a stream of speech
- c) The process of creating new words
- d) The ability to pronounce unfamiliar words
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14. Which theory emphasizes the social context in which language is acquired?
- a) Nativist theory
- b) Interactionist theory
- c) Behaviorist theory
- d) Cognitive theory
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15. "Fast mapping" refers to:
- a) Learning new words through repeated exposure over time
- b) Learning new words through social interaction
- c) Learning the meaning of a word after only a brief encounter
- d) The process of memorizing vocabulary
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16. The "Sapir-Whorf hypothesis" suggests that:
- a) Thinking and perception are influenced by the structure of language
- b) Language acquisition is dependent on imitation
- c) Vocabulary is learned through social interaction
- d) Speech comprehension relies on context
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17. Which of the following best describes "bilingualism"?
- a) The ability to learn a single language fluently
- b) The ability to use two or more languages fluently
- c) The ability to understand grammatical rules
- d) The ability to speak multiple dialects
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18. Which of the following is a characteristic of "syntax" in language processing?
- a) The meaning of individual words
- b) The ability to understand jokes
- c) The rules that govern the structure of sentences
- d) The sound patterns of words
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19. What is "semantic priming" in language processing?
- a) The process of learning the meanings of words through repetition
- b) The increased speed in processing a word due to its semantic association with a preceding word
- c) The ability to recognize words based on their sound
- d) The tendency to misinterpret word meanings
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20. "Cognitive load" in language acquisition refers to:
- a) The amount of mental effort required to process language information
- b) The time taken to learn a new language
- c) The emotional aspects of language processing
- d) The social interaction needed to acquire language
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21. Which of the following is an example of "semantic knowledge"?
- a) Understanding the grammatical structure of a sentence
- b) Knowing the meanings of words
- c) Knowing how to pronounce a word correctly
- d) Knowing how to construct a sentence
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22. Which part of the brain is primarily involved in language comprehension?
- a) Broca's area
- b) Wernicke's area
- c) Occipital lobe
- d) Cerebellum
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23. "Motherese" refers to:
- a) The simplified speech adults use when talking to infants
- b) A type of child-directed speech in sign language
- c) The formal language used in classrooms
- d) A bilingual method of language acquisition
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24. The "whorfian hypothesis" is another name for:
- a) Linguistic relativity
- b) Behaviorism
- c) The study of word meaning
- d) The concept of universal grammar
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25. Which of the following is NOT a stage in language development?
- a) Babbling
- b) Holophrastic speech
- c) Telegraphic speech
- d) Multilingualism
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26. The "critical period hypothesis" suggests that:
- a) Language can be acquired at any age
- b) Language acquisition is easiest during a specific window in early childhood
- c) Learning a language is dependent on the teacher
- d) Language acquisition is solely determined by social interaction
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27. The "dual-route theory" of reading suggests that:
- a) There is only one way to process written language
- b) People use both phonological and visual routes to read
- c) Reading is only dependent on visual memory
- d) People read by memorizing entire words
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28. Which of the following is an example of "phonological awareness"?
- a) Understanding that words are made up of smaller units of sound
- b) Knowing the meaning of words
- c) Recognizing grammatical errors in speech
- d) The ability to read complex texts
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29. "Fast mapping" in language acquisition refers to:
- a) Learning new words by hearing them only once
- b) Memorizing words using repetition
- c) Learning words through a structured teaching method
- d) Understanding words in isolation
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30. The process of "syntax-first parsing" in sentence comprehension suggests that:
- a) Sentences are processed word by word in a linear sequence
- b) Grammatical structure is used before meaning in comprehension
- c) The meaning of sentences is always processed first
- d) All sentences follow a fixed word order
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