CHAPTER 6 Language and Intercultural Communication
CHAPTER 6
LANGUAGE AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. The study of the sound system of language including how words are pronounced is known as
_____.
a. phonetics
b. semantics
c. pragmatics
d. syntactics
2. The study of meaning or how individual words communicate the meaning we intend to get
across in our communication is known as _____.
a. phonetics
b. semantics
c. syntactics
d. pragmatics
3. The study of the structure of language or how words are combined into meaningful sentences
(e.g., the cat white or the white cat) is known as _____.
a. syntactics
b. semantics
c. pragmatics
d. phonetics
4. The study of how language is actually used in particular contexts is known as _____.
a. phonetics
b. semantics
c. pragmatics
d. syntactics
5. Communication which is indirect because most of the meaning is internalized in the person is
known as _____ communication.
a. understated
b. low-context
c. high-context
d. elaborate
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6. When the majority of a message is in spoken words, the speaker is probably using a(n) _____
communication style.
a. indirect
b. low-context
c. high-context
d. affective
7. A style of communication in which much of the information is contained in the
contexts and nonverbal cues rather than expressed explicitly in words is referred to as
_____ communication.
a. indirect
b. low-context
c. high-context
d. direct
8. The _____ communication style is one in which verbal messages reveal a speaker’s true
intentions, needs, wants, and desires.
a. direct
b. elaborate
c. indirect
d. understated
9. Denise wants a new coat. Instead of asking her mother outright (which would be improper in
her family), she openly admires the coats of others. Denise is using a(n) _____ style of
communication.
a. direct
b. personal
c. indirect
d. instrumental
10. Many Arabic speakers use rich, expressive language in everyday talk. They probably are
using a(n) _____ style of communication.
a. elaborate
b. succinct
c. indirect
d. understated
11. A(n) _____ style of communication emphasizes cooperative communication and sincerity as
a basis for human interaction.
a. elaborate
b. succinct
CHAPTER 6 Language and Intercultural Communication
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c. indirect
d. understated
12. Howard thinks that relationships are the most important aspect of life. So, if he has
information that might disappoint or upset the other person, he may not share it completely.
Howard probably prefers a(n) _____ style of communication.
a. indirect
b. direct
c. understated
d. elaborate
13. Ramona believes in “telling it like it is” with her roommates, even though that means saying
negative things sometimes. Ramona is probably using a(n) _____ style of communication.
a. understated
b. elaborate
c. indirect
d. direct
14. Changing our communication style so that we can be more effective communicators in
another culture is known as _____.
a. language acquisition
b. translation
c. code switching
d. semantics
15. Darrel is gay and some of his co-workers are aware of this. At work, he uses communication
strategies that emphasize trying to fit in and be accepted by a dominant group. He talks about his
nephews when his colleagues talk about their kids, and he laughs at some homophobic jokes that
he doesn’t really feel are funny. Darrel is using a(n) _____ accommodation strategy in order to
assimilate.
a. assertive
b. aggressive
c. nonassertive
d. elaborate
16. Eduardo, a student who uses a wheel chair, goes to great lengths to prove that he is like the
other students. He separates himself as much as possible from other people with disabilities and
engages in self-ridicule to show that he is humble. Eduardo is using a(n)_____ assimilation
strategy.
a. assertive
b. aggressive
CHAPTER 6 Language and Intercultural Communication
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c. nonassertive
d. instrumental
17. Kelsey, who is Jewish, tries to blend with the dominant group at work as much as possible.
When they offer her a slice of pizza, she gently declines and delicately points out that her
religion tells her that she should not eat the meat of cloven-hoofed animals. Kelsey is probably
using a(n) _____ accommodation strategy.
a. assertive
b. aggressive
c. nonassertive
d. indirect
18. Leona, an African American, hears one of her white friends use a phrase that has traditionally
been used to disparage blacks. She tactfully educates her friend about the history and meaning of
the word because while she doesn’t wish to be offended, she also knows he meant no harm.
Leona is probably using a(n) _____ accommodation strategy.
a. assertive
b. aggressive
c. nonassertive
d. indirect
19. Sankaran immigrated to the United States from India as a child. Although he speaks fluent
English, he prefers to live, work, and socialize with people who look like himself. Sankaran has
chosen to use a(n) _____ separation strategy.
a. assertive
b. aggressive
c. instrumental
d. nonassertive
20. _____ separation strategies (e.g., attacking and sabotaging others) are used by those for
whom co-cultural segregation is an important priority.
a. Elaborate
b. Aggressive
c. Assertive
d. Nonassertive
21. People who speak more than two languages are considered _____.
a. bilingual
b. multilingual
c. multicultural
d. translators
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22. The process of verbally expressing what is said or written in another language is known as
_____.
a. translation
b. interpretation
c. equivalency
d. discourse
23. Cliff is in the process of producing an English target text that refers to an article written in
Portuguese (source text). Cliff is engaged in _____.
a. translation
b. discourse
c. equivalency
d. interpretation
24. In German, the modifier goes before the verb instead of after. If Jorg, a native German
speaker, says, “Interesting this is.” He is using _____.
a. improvised performance
b. third culture style
c. translation
d. interlanguage
25. Which of the following statements is true of machine translation?
a. It preserves the meaning of the original context.
b. It is familiar with the idioms and slangs of languages.
c. It requires access to online tools.
d. It is accurate.
26. The view that the particular language one speaks influences his or her perception but does
not completely determine his or her perception is known as the _____.
a. pragmatic position
b. qualified relativist position
c. nominalist position
d. semantic relativist position
27. Metamessage is defined as:
a. the meaning of a message that tells others how they should respond to the content of a person’s
communication based on his or her relationship to them.
b. a verbal message often designed to camouflage a speaker’s true intentions, needs, wants, and
desires.
CHAPTER 6 Language and Intercultural Communication
c. the overlap among the syntactics, pragmatics, phonetics, and language styles of a native
language creating a third way of communication.
d. a type of communication in which much of the information is conveyed in words rather than in
nonverbal cues and contexts.
28. Interlanguage is defined as:
a. a commonly shared language that is used as a medium of communication between people of
different languages.
b. the laws or customs that determine when and where which language will be spoken.
c. a kind of communication that emerges when speakers of one language are speaking in another
language.
d. the process of producing a written text that refers to something said or written in another
language.
TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS
29. Groups with the most power in a society use a communication system that supports their
perception of the world.
30. Nonassertive separation strategies are used by people who assume that segregation is a part
of everyday life.
31. Labels are not really that important in terms of establishing relationships.
32. Most bilinguals speak both languages at the same level of fluency.
33. The use of honorifics in English is limited to formal situations.
34. Learning the language of a group a person dislikes is pretty much the same as learning the
language of a more favored group.
35. A law stating that English is the only language to be used in educational settings would be a
language policy.
36. Groups of equal power within society’s social structure are known as co-cultural groups.
CHAPTER 6 Language and Intercultural Communication
37. The understated style of communication values simple assertions and silence.
38. The direct style of communication is often used when individuals wish to preserve the
harmony of a relationship.
39. Language educators think that with the continued growth and progression of machine
translation tools such as Google Translate, there will no longer be a need to teach foreign
languages in schools.
40. A commonly shared language that is used as a medium of communication between people of
different languages is referred to as lingua franca.
41. Social media has drastically “increased the shelf life” of slang.
42. The original language text of a translation is called the target text, and the text into which it is
translated is called the source text.
ESSAY QUESTIONS
43. Discuss the power effects of labels.
44. Identify and discuss the issues of equivalency and accuracy in interpretation and translation.
45. Compare and contrast the high-context communication style with the understated
communication style.
46. What might be the benefits of the nonassertive assimilation style for a Muslim American
working in an organization run by Protestant Americans? What might be the costs of using this
approach?
47. Explain the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.
48. Under what circumstances might silence be a primary mode of communication in the United
States?