BTLPT BTLPT Sociolinguistics and Language Variation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'code-switching' mean in a bilingual educational context?
- Switching between computer programming languages
- Alternating between two languages within or across utterances (Correct answer)
- Teaching students to forget their home language
- Using only one language in the classroom
Correct answer: Alternating between two languages within or across utterances
Code-switching refers to the practice of alternating between two languages, which is common and linguistically sophisticated among bilinguals.
Question 2: In BTLPT preparation, understanding 'diglossia' is important because it describes:
- The ability to speak two languages equally well
- A situation where two language varieties serve distinct social functions in a community (Correct answer)
- The process of forgetting one language when learning another
- Teaching content in two languages simultaneously
Correct answer: A situation where two language varieties serve distinct social functions in a community
Diglossia describes communities where a 'high' variety is used in formal settings and a 'low' variety in informal ones, affecting bilingual instruction.
Question 3: Which term describes the variety of Spanish spoken by Mexican-Americans in the US Southwest?
- Castellano
- Chicano Spanish (Correct answer)
- Rioplatense Spanish
- Caribeño Spanish
Correct answer: Chicano Spanish
Chicano Spanish is a recognized dialect of Spanish spoken by Mexican-Americans in the US Southwest, with unique lexical and phonological features.
Question 4: What is 'language attrition' as it relates to BTLPT bilingual education candidates?
- Gradual loss of proficiency in a language due to reduced use (Correct answer)
- The process of learning a second language quickly
- Switching between academic and colloquial registers
- Teaching fewer languages in school
Correct answer: Gradual loss of proficiency in a language due to reduced use
Language attrition is the gradual decline of proficiency in a language — often the heritage language — when it is not regularly used.
Question 5: For BTLPT purposes, 'additive bilingualism' refers to:
- Teaching math in two languages
- Developing a second language while maintaining and valuing the first (Correct answer)
- Adding extra languages beyond a student's second language
- Using translation as the primary instructional strategy
Correct answer: Developing a second language while maintaining and valuing the first
Additive bilingualism promotes learning a new language while maintaining the home language, which research shows leads to better academic outcomes.
Question 6: Which sociolinguistic factor most strongly influences which language a bilingual speaker uses in a given situation?
- The speaker's age only
- Domain — the social context including setting, topic, and participants (Correct answer)
- The speaker's income level
- The language they learned first
Correct answer: Domain — the social context including setting, topic, and participants
Domain theory holds that language choice is governed by the combination of setting, topic, and interlocutors (participants) in the interaction.
BTLPT BTLPT Sociolinguistics and Language Variation 1
What does 'code-switching' mean in a bilingual educational context?