Language and Language Use

What have Europeans done to try to solve the problem of so many languages?

• Outlawed the use of languages spoken by only a few people

• Decided not to trade with people who do not speak their language

• Made laws ensuring that English is the only official language of the European Union

• Required schoolchildren to learn one or two other languages beside their native language

If you traveled from London, England to Moscow, Russia, which two language families would you come in contact with?

• Slavic/Romance

• English/Romance

• Romance/Germanic

• Germanic/Slavic

Which language is spoken mostly throughout Eastern Europe?

• Germanic

• Slavic

• Romance

• Finnish

Italian, French, and Spanish are members of this language family.

• Germanic

• Romance

• Slavic

• English

Russian is an example of a _______ language.

• Slavic

• Germanic

• Romance

• Russo-Hellenic

What have Europeans done to try and solve the problem of so many languages being spoken on the continent?

• Outlawed the use of languages spoken by only a few people.

• Decided not to trade with people who do not speak the same language

• Passed laws saying English is the only official language of the European Union.

• Made school children learn one or two other languages besides their native language.

Linguists are people who study language.

• True

• False

What is the primary function of language in human societies?

• A) To create art

• B) To facilitate communication

• C) To establish dominance

• D) To entertain

Which of the following is a characteristic of a dialect?

• A) It is a completely different language

• B) It has no grammatical structure

• C) It is a regional variation of a language

• D) It is only spoken by children

What is code-switching in the context of language use?

• A) Changing languages in a conversation

• B) Using secret codes to communicate

• C) Switching from spoken to written language

• D) Translating text from one language to another