Sociolinguistic Appropriateness Flashcards
7 cards from real CEFR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Sociolinguistic Appropriateness flashcards as text
Which of the following is an example of 'negative politeness' in sociolinguistics?
Answer: Saying 'I don't want to bother you, but...' before a request
Negative politeness minimizes imposition on the listener by acknowledging their autonomy and right not to be disturbed.
A student uses 'gonna' and 'wanna' in a written academic essay. This is considered sociolinguistically inappropriate because:
Answer: The register of academic writing requires formal, standard language
Academic writing requires a formal register, and colloquial contractions like 'gonna' violate the expected norms of that genre.
In CEFR's sociolinguistic descriptors, 'linguistic markers of social relations' refers to:
Answer: Knowing how to use greetings, address forms, and expletives appropriately
Linguistic markers of social relations include the socially appropriate use of greetings, terms of address, and conversational openers and closers.
What does 'face-threatening act' (FTA) mean in sociolinguistic theory?
Answer: An utterance that threatens the positive or negative face of the speaker or listener
A face-threatening act, from Brown and Levinson's politeness theory, is any communicative act that risks damaging someone's public self-image.
Which CEFR level descriptor states a user 'can use language flexibly and effectively for social purposes, including emotional, allusive and joking usage'?
Answer: C1
C1 users demonstrate sophisticated sociolinguistic competence, including the flexible use of language for humor, allusion, and emotional expression.
A job applicant is asked 'Tell me about yourself.' They respond with a personal anecdote about their childhood pet. This response is sociolinguistically inappropriate because:
Answer: The response does not match the professional genre expectations of a job interview
In a job interview context, responses are expected to be professionally framed; a childhood pet anecdote misreads the social and genre expectations.
In the US, which form of address is generally most appropriate when first meeting a professor in an academic setting?
Answer: Professor [Last Name] or Dr. [Last Name]
Using a professional title with the last name shows respect and matches the formal power dynamic in academic contexts in the US.