TEST 1

Course : Introduction to English Linguistics (LING 101)

Lecturer : Anna Fitriati
Type of Test : closed book
Time Allocation : 75 minutes
Question sheet : Submitted
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

St. No: 194214148 Class: D

Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Linguistics is descriptive, not prescriptive. What does it mean? Why being descriptive is more
preferable?
2. The study of language develops from time to time. Explain briefly the differences between
descriptive linguistics and historical linguistics. Support your answer with adequate examples.
3. What are the similarity and difference between the following pairs of linguistic branches?
a. Phonetics VS Phonology
b. Semantics VS Pragmatics
4. There are some features that characterize language. Explain briefly the connection between
discreteness, duality, and creativity/productivity.
5. Explain briefly the differences and the similarities between human language and animal
communication.
6. In 1960s, Noam Chomsky proposed an idea that we are all born with an innate knowledge of
grammar that serves as the basis of all language acquisition. This theory is known as the
Universal Grammar. What is the connection between the innateness hypothesis and the idea of
Universal Grammar?

This is the end of the test. Good luck and thank you.
LINGUISTICS TEST 1

Name : Nastiti Andayani

St. Number : 194214148

1. It means linguistics describing all aspect of the languange, not the prescribe rules of
“correctness”. It more preferable being descriptive because it is more interesting on what
we gonna said rather than what’s on our thought.
2. Descriptive Linguistics is a branch of language study that describing a single language
at one particular point in time.
Example : Cours de linguistique générale (1916) by Ferdinand de Saussure.

Historical Linguistics is a branch of language study that describing the development of

language from time to time.
Example : The Sanscrit Language (1786) by Sir William Jones.
3. a. Both phonetics and phonology are studied about sounds. The difference is that
phonetics studying of how the speech sounds are made, it also focuses on the physical
properties of speech as sound waves in the air. Meanwhile, phonology studying systems
and patterns of speech sound in a language.

b. Both semantics and pragmatic are studied about the meaning of words and sentences.
The difference is that semantics always focus on what the word conventionally means.
Meanwhile, pragmatics focus on context and the communicative intention of the speaker.
4. Discreteness means that humans can compose and combine a word that can convey a
different meaning. While the duality means that human can make a language into
multiple forms. Productive means that humans are able to combine words, phrases, or
sounds to express their particular ideas. The connection between the three characters of
the language is humans can combine and composing a language to make the new
meaning of the word.
5. The similarities between human and animal communication are using a sign, body
language, and sound to communicate with each other. Then, the difference between
human and animal communication is human has characteristic of their language
meanwhile animal does not have it.
6. All languages of the world share a similar set of grammatical principles that come pre-
embedded in our brains from birth.