CLAD Structure and Linguistics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In English morphology, the word 'unhappiness' contains how many morphemes?
- Two
- Three (Correct answer)
- Four
- Five
Correct answer: Three
The word contains three morphemes: un- (prefix), happy (root), and -ness (suffix).
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'codeswitching'?
- Translating a word directly from L1 to L2
- Alternating between two languages within a single conversation or utterance (Correct answer)
- Losing fluency in L1 after acquiring L2
- Using simplified speech with language learners
Correct answer: Alternating between two languages within a single conversation or utterance
Codeswitching is the practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects within a conversation, often for social or communicative purposes.
Question 3: Which grammatical feature is present in Spanish and Mandarin but absent in standard English?
- Plural marking on nouns
- Grammatical gender (Correct answer)
- Subject-verb agreement
- Use of definite articles
Correct answer: Grammatical gender
Grammatical gender assigns masculine or feminine categories to nouns in Spanish (and Mandarin has classifiers but not gender), while English lacks grammatical gender for most nouns.
Question 4: Cummins' Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis claims that:
- L1 and L2 are stored in completely separate brain regions
- Proficiency in L1 provides a cognitive foundation that supports L2 acquisition (Correct answer)
- Children acquire L2 faster than adults in all contexts
- Grammar instruction is the primary driver of bilingual proficiency
Correct answer: Proficiency in L1 provides a cognitive foundation that supports L2 acquisition
Cummins argued that strong L1 literacy and academic skills transfer to L2 learning, supporting the Common Underlying Proficiency model.
Question 5: A student uses correct English grammar on a written test but struggles to produce those same forms in oral conversation. The best explanation is:
- The student has a language processing disorder
- Learned rules require cognitive effort and break down under real-time pressure (Correct answer)
- The student needs more grammar instruction
- Oral and written language are processed in separate hemispheres
Correct answer: Learned rules require cognitive effort and break down under real-time pressure
Consciously learned grammatical rules are effortful to apply and may fail during spontaneous speech when cognitive resources are focused on meaning.
Question 6: The term 'syntax' most accurately refers to:
- The sound system of a language
- Rules governing word formation
- Rules governing sentence structure and word order (Correct answer)
- The study of word meaning
Correct answer: Rules governing sentence structure and word order
Syntax is the branch of linguistics that studies the rules and principles that govern how words combine to form sentences.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a derivational morpheme?
- The plural -s in 'cats'
- The past tense -ed in 'walked'
- The -er suffix in 'teacher' (from 'teach') (Correct answer)
- The third-person -s in 'runs'
Correct answer: The -er suffix in 'teacher' (from 'teach')
Derivational morphemes change the word class or meaning, as -er converts the verb 'teach' into the noun 'teacher.'
CLAD Structure and Linguistics 4
In English morphology, the word 'unhappiness' contains how many morphemes?