EL 105

Which of the following best describes the strong version of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (linguistic determinism)?

• Language can slightly influence our behavior.

• Language determines the structure of a sentence, but not thoughts.

• Language shapes how we interpret the world, but we can still think beyond it.

• Language fully determines how we think and what we can think about.

Answer explanation

The strong version—linguistic determinism—claims that language completely controls or limits thought. If something can't be said in your language, you supposedly can't think it.

A culture has no word for “guilt,” and people from that culture report rarely feeling guilty. This supports which idea?

• Grammar-driven universality

• Linguistic relativism

• Linguistic determinism

• Cultural essentialism

Answer explanation

This is an example of the strong claim that without a word for something (like "guilt"), the concept itself may not be experienced or understood. That's classic linguistic determinism.

Which example supports the weak version of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (linguistic relativism)?

• People who speak a language with more color terms are better at distinguishing colors.

• A society cannot count past 3 because its language has no words for numbers beyond that.

• People cannot understand freedom if their language has no word for it.

• Speakers of the same language always think the same way.

Answer explanation

This shows that language influences perception (in this case, of color), but doesn't prevent people from perceiving color altogether—matching the idea of linguistic relativism.

A speaker of Language A describes time as moving left to right, while a speaker of Language B imagines it moving east to west. Which version of Sapir-Whorf does this best illustrate?

• Linguistic determinism

• Linguistic relativism

• Structuralism

• Universal grammar

Answer explanation

This is about how language and culture can influence how time is visualized. Different ways of thinking about time reflect linguistic relativism, not strict limits on thought.

Which of the following statements reflects a critique of linguistic determinism?

• People are incapable of learning new vocabulary.

• Thoughts are meaningless without words.

• People can understand new concepts even if their language lacks a word for it.

• Grammar prevents communication with other cultures.

Answer explanation

This statement challenges linguistic determinism by suggesting that people can still learn and understand new ideas outside their existing language, which most linguists today agree with.

"I'm so tired today. Hindi pa kasi ako natutulog." What type of code-switching is used here?

• Inter-sentential

• Intra-sentential

• Tag-switching

Answer explanation

Each sentence is in a different language:

Sentence 1 is in English.

Sentence 2 is in Filipino.

This switch occurs at the sentence boundary, which is characteristic of inter-sentential code-switching.

Ang saya ng party. Everyone was dancing!

• Inter-sentential

• Intra-sentential

• Tag-switching

Answer explanation

Again, we see two complete sentences in different languages:

"Ang saya ng party." (Filipino)

"Everyone was dancing!" (English)

This is a classic case of inter-sentential code-switching.

She bought a new bag kasi it was on sale.

• Inter-sentential

• Intra-sentential

• Tag-switching

Answer explanation

The sentence switches languages within the same sentence, mid-thought:

The word “kasi” (Filipino for "because") is embedded in an English sentence.

This is a textbook example of intra-sentential code-switching.

Let's go to the mall, noh?

• Inter-sentential

• Intra-sentential

• Tag-switching

Answer explanation

The main sentence is in English, but it ends with "noh?" — a discourse tag commonly used in Philippine languages (like Cebuano or Tagalog) for emphasis or to seek agreement, similar to "right?" in English. Tag-switching occurs when a speaker inserts a short phrase or tag from one language into a sentence that is otherwise in another language.

You'll be there later, diba?

• Inter-sentential

• Intra-sentential

• Tag-switching

Answer explanation

The sentence is in English, but ends with a Filipino tag question ("diba?").

This is a clear example of tag-switching, where a discourse marker or tag from one language is inserted into a sentence in another language.