Language vs. communication MCQs 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. In linguistic anthropology, what is the primary distinction between language and communication? (A) Communication is only verbal; language is non-verbal (B) Language is a structured system of symbols; communication is the broader process of exchanging information (C) Language requires technology; communication does not (D) There is no distinction 2. Which of the following best represents communication without language? (A) A political speech (B) Sign language (C) Facial expressions and gestures (D) Written literature 3. In linguistic anthropology, language is considered unique because: (A) It uses structured rules and can express abstract concepts (B) It is only used for survival (C) It always requires writing (D) It is instinctively identical in all species 4. Which is an example of language? (A) Road signs (B) Spoken Spanish (C) Smiling (D) Traffic lights 5. What does communication encompass that language does not? (A) Non-verbal cues, cultural symbols, and emotional signals (B) Only phonetic sounds (C) Strict grammatical rules (D) Written alphabets 6. Non-human primates use communication systems that are: (A) As complex as human language (B) Mostly instinctive and limited (C) Written and grammatical (D) Identical to sign languages 7. Which field studies the relationship between language and communication in cultural contexts? (A) Archaeology (B) Linguistic anthropology (C) Geology (D) Paleontology 8. Language is considered a subset of: (A) Communication (B) Culture only (C) Economy (D) Archaeological evidence 9. Which of the following is not always necessary for communication? (A) Shared language (B) Gestures (C) Facial expressions (D) Visual cues 10. In linguistic anthropology, the study of paralanguage focuses on: (A) Pitch, tone, and vocal elements (B) Grammar rules (C) Written scripts only (D) Symbolic alphabets 11. Language allows humans to discuss: (A) Only present events (B) Abstract, past, and future concepts (C) Only concrete objects (D) Immediate survival needs 12. Which of these is considered a full language? (A) American Sign Language (ASL) (B) Traffic signals (C) Animal warning calls (D) Smiling at someone 13. Which form of communication relies most on cultural symbols? (A) Verbal language (B) Grunts (C) Instinctive cries (D) Silent observation 14. Communication without grammar is often: (A) Non-linguistic (B) Linguistic (C) Written (D) Formal language 15. Which concept explains that words have no inherent connection to their meaning? (A) Arbitrary nature of language (B) Biological determinism (C) Fixed symbolism (D) Genetic encoding 16. The primary purpose of communication in anthropology is: (A) To transmit information, culture, and social bonds (B) To create isolation (C) To avoid interaction (D) To replace society 17. Which example illustrates non-verbal communication in a cultural setting? (A) Bowing as a greeting in Japan (B) Reading a novel (C) Writing a research paper (D) Singing lyrics 18. Language is said to have displacement because it: (A) Allows communication about things not present in time or space (B) Is always physical (C) Depends on location only (D) Is fixed to immediate stimuli 19. Animal communication systems often lack: (A) Productivity and open-ended expression (B) Sounds and signals (C) Movement (D) Instinctive meaning 20. Which is a component of verbal communication? (A) Speech and writing (B) Facial expressions (C) Hand gestures (D) Posture 21. In linguistic anthropology, non-verbal communication includes: (A) Proxemics, gestures, and body posture (B) Phonetics only (C) Written scripts (D) Vocabulary lists 22. The term âphatic communicationâ refers to: (A) Social bonding talk (e.g., greetings, small talk) (B) Scientific discourse (C) Religious chants (D) Grammar teaching 23. Which is an example of intercultural communication studied by linguistic anthropologists? (A) A business meeting between people from different countries (B) Talking to yourself (C) Reading alone (D) Silent prayer 24. Linguistic relativity connects language with: (A) Thought and perception (B) Geological time (C) Physical strength (D) Instinctive reactions 25. Which is an example of symbolic communication? (A) National flag (B) Rain (C) Earthquake (D) Thunder 26. Communication requires a sender, message, medium, and: (A) Receiver and feedback (B) Only grammar rules (C) A dictionary (D) Translation 27. Which type of communication is used by beesâ waggle dance? (A) Non-verbal communication (B) Written language (C) Verbal grammar (D) Artificial language 28. One key feature of language that animals rarely possess is: (A) Duality of patterning (sounds forming meaningful units) (B) Reflexive reaction (C) Immediate instinct (D) Visual signal 29. Proxemics in communication studies: (A) The use of space in interaction (B) Sound articulation (C) Vocabulary selection (D) Cultural recipes 30. Which is NOT considered language? (A) Morse code (B) English (C) Traffic signals (D) Arabic 31. Linguistic anthropology often examines communication to understand: (A) Social relationships and power dynamics (B) Only grammatical errors (C) Geological structures (D) Farming techniques 32. Non-verbal communication is powerful because: (A) It often conveys emotions more accurately than words (B) It eliminates meaning (C) It avoids interaction (D) It only applies in writing 33. Written communication is classified as: (A) Verbal communication (B) Non-verbal communication (C) Physical gesture (D) Silent signal 34. Language evolution in anthropology is significant because: (A) It allowed cultural transmission across generations (B) It replaced society (C) It stopped communication (D) It erased traditions 35. Which is an example of mass communication? (A) Television news (B) Personal whisper (C) Silent thought (D) Private diary 36. Semantic noise in communication refers to: (A) Misunderstanding caused by differences in meaning (B) Loud physical noise (C) Visual distraction (D) Echoes only 37. Feedback in communication is essential because it: (A) Confirms understanding between participants (B) Replaces grammar (C) Stops language use (D) Avoids meaning 38. Which of the following is a feature of human language? (A) Productivity and creativity (B) Fixed signals only (C) Rigid patterns with no innovation (D) Automatic reactions 39. Gesture systems without grammar are considered: (A) Non-linguistic communication (B) Fully developed languages (C) Written codes (D) Semantic structures 40. Chronemics is the study of: (A) Time in communication (B) Space in culture (C) Sounds in speech (D) Symbols in writing 41. Language is described as âculturalâ because it: (A) Reflects and transmits traditions, beliefs, and values (B) Exists only in nature (C) Is always inherited biologically (D) Ignores society 42. Which is an example of intrapersonal communication? (A) Talking to oneself in thought (B) Sending a text message (C) Giving a lecture (D) Performing a song 43. Human communication differs from animal communication mainly due to: (A) Symbolism, creativity, and displacement (B) Body size (C) Breathing (D) Immediate reactions 44. In linguistic anthropology, the term âcode-switchingâ refers to: (A) Shifting between languages or speech varieties in conversation (B) Changing communication devices (C) Writing secret codes (D) Avoiding speech 45. Which form of communication involves touch? (A) Haptics (B) Kinesics (C) Proxemics (D) Semantics 46. What is a key difference between language and other communication systems? (A) Language is open-ended; communication systems may be closed (B) Language never changes (C) Communication does not involve meaning (D) Language excludes culture 47. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis relates to: (A) How language shapes perception and thought (B) Animal instincts (C) Communication breakdown (D) Physical noise 48. Which type of communication does NOT involve spoken or written words? (A) Non-verbal communication (B) Verbal communication (C) Linguistic communication (D) Oral tradition 49. The study of language origins in anthropology focuses on: (A) Evolutionary, social, and cultural factors (B) Chemical formulas (C) Geological layers (D) Mathematical systems 50. Which best summarizes the relationship between language and communication in linguistic anthropology? (A) Language is one of many forms of communication used to create and share culture (B) Communication is always language (C) They are unrelated (D) Communication cannot exist without writing  1. 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