Test Bank
Chapter 1: Language Development: An Introduction
Multiple Choice
1. ____________________________ is a complex and dynamic system of conventional
symbols that is used in various modes for thought and communication.
a. Speech
b. Language
c. American Sign Language
d. Hearing
2. ____________________________ are the smallest units of language that carry meaning and
are combined to make words.
a. Phonemes
b. Graphemes
c. Morphemes
d. Words
3. ____________________________ means that users of a language abide by accepted rules.
a. Conventional
b. Arbitrary
c. Referential
d. Language community
4. ____________________________ is the process of sharing information, such as thoughts,
feelings, and ideas among two or more persons.
a. Language
b. Speech
c. Hearing
d. Communication
5. ____________________________ are specialized problem-solving devices in the brain that
respond to information of a restricted type.
a. Neural circuits
b. Modules
c. Representational tools
d. Domains
6. ____________________________ is the neuromuscular process by which humans turn
language into a sound signal and transmit it through the air or other medium to a receiver.
a. American Sign Language
b. Speech
c. Language
d. Hearing
7. The __________________________ is the smallest unit of sound that can signal a difference
in meaning.
a. Morpheme
b. Phoneme
c. Grapheme
d. Perceptual target
8. _____________________________ is the study of sound.
a. Otorhinolaryngology
b. Audiology
c. Speech science
d. Acoustics
9. _____________________________ is a preference for auditory rather than visual
information.
a. Auditory perception
b. Speech perception
c. Auditory overshadowing
d. Auditory preference
10. _____________________________ occurs when an individual communicates about a
specific entity, and the relationship between the entity and its referent is arbitrary.
a. Symbolic communication
b. Propositional speech
c. Formulation
d. Transmission
11. ____________________________ refers to the use of pitch, loudness, and pausing.
a. Linguistic feedback
b. Paralinguistic feedback
c. Auditory feedback
d. Prosodic feedback
12. ____________________________ refers to the rules of a language governing the sounds that
make syllables and words.
a. Phonology
b. Morphology
c. Syntax
d. Semantics
13. ____________________________ pertains to the rules governing language use for social
purposes.
a. Phonotactics
b. Pragmatics
c. Syntax
d. Semantics
14. ___________________________ allows humans to share what happened before this moment
or what may happen after this moment.
a. Species specificity
b. Universality
c. Semanticity
d. Productivity
15. Today, about _______________ of Americans speak a language other than English at home.
a. 1/3
b. 1/4
c. 1/5
d. 1/6
16. ______________________________ are more likely to have language impairment.
a. Sequential bilingual learners
b. Girls
c. Simultaneous bilingual learners
d. Boys
17. If one monozygotic twin has a language impairment, the other twin has about a(n)
______________ likelihood of also having the impairment.
a. 50%
b. 65%
c. 75%
d. 85%
18. Higher degrees of caregiver ___________________________ during infancy and early
toddlerhood are associated with accelerated rates of language development in children.
a. Talking
b. Responsiveness
c. Speech rate
d. Literacy
19. _______________________________ is the most common type of communication
impairment affecting children.
a. Specific language impairment
b. Autism spectrum disorder
c. Intellectual disability
d. Pragmatic communication disorder
20. Annually, about _____________________________ children aged 0-14 years in the U.S.
experience traumatic brain injury.
a. 100,000
b. 250,000
c. 500,000
d. 750,000
Essay
1. For what reasons do language communities emerge?
2. What is the difference between domain-specific modules and domain-general modules?
3. Speech involves the precise activation of muscles in what four systems?
4. What are the four acoustic events involved in the transmission and reception of speech?
5. For what three basic purposes do people share information?
6. Define language form, content, and use.
7. What is the five-component system used to represent and organize major dimensions of
language?
8. Explain the term universality as it pertains to language.
9. Define quality and quantity of language.
10. How is social communication disorder distinct from autism spectrum disorder?
ANSWER KEY
Chapter 1: Language Development: An Introduction
Multiple Choice
