Table of Contents
Question 81
The science that systematically studies the function of signs is known as:
Semiology (also called Semiotics) is the formal study of signs, symbols, and how meaning is created and communicated.
The field was independently founded by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (who coined the term "sémiologie") and the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (who used the term "semiotics").
Why the others are wrong: Semantics specifically studies the meaning of words and sentences in language. Scriptoria were medieval monk writing rooms. Sismography (seismography) is the study of earthquakes.
Question 82
Second Language is:
In the field of linguistics and SLA (Second Language Acquisition), an L2 (Second Language) is broadly defined as any language that a person learns after they have acquired their first language (L1/Mother Tongue).
Even if it is the third or fourth language a person is learning, it is academically categorized under the umbrella of "Second Language Acquisition."
Question 83
Given below are two statements. One is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R.
Assertion (A): In second language learning, in the same classroom setting, some students progress rapidly through the initial stages of learning a new language while others struggle making very slow progress.
Reason (R): Some learners never achieve native-like command of a second language.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the option given below:
Assertion (A) is True: It is a well-documented fact in pedagogy that learners in the same classroom acquire language at vastly different speeds due to factors like age, motivation, aptitude, and learning styles.
Reason (R) is True: It is incredibly rare for adult learners to achieve perfect, native-like proficiency (especially regarding accent) in a second language.
Why R does not explain A: The fact that people rarely achieve ultimate, native-like perfection (Reason R) does not explain why some beginners learn faster than others in a classroom (Assertion A). Therefore, they are two true but unconnected facts.
Question 84
When a learner's second language learning system seems to freeze or get stuck at some more or less deviant stage, that phenomenon is known as:
In Second Language Acquisition (SLA), Fossilization (a term coined by Larry Selinker in 1972) refers to the process where a language learner's progress completely stops.
The learner gets "stuck" at a certain level of proficiency. Incorrect linguistic forms, grammar mistakes, or accents become permanently fixed (fossilized) in their speech, and they stop improving, regardless of how much more exposure or teaching they receive.
Question 85
Integrative motivation refers to:
In SLA, motivation is generally divided into two types (based on Gardner and Lambert's model): Instrumental and Integrative.
Integrative Motivation means the learner wants to learn the language to integrate into the target culture, understand the people better, and enrich themselves culturally (Option 3). Instrumental Motivation, on the other hand, means learning the language for a practical, immediate goal, such as getting a better job, passing an exam, or getting a visa (Options 1 and 2).
Question 86
Who among the following distinguished the 'constatives' from the 'performatives'?
The British philosopher J.L. Austin introduced this crucial distinction in his posthumous 1962 book, How to Do Things with Words, founding Speech Act Theory.
He distinguished between Constatives (statements that merely describe reality and can be judged true or false, e.g., "The sky is blue") and Performatives (statements that do not describe reality, but actively change reality by being spoken, e.g., "I pronounce you husband and wife" or "I promise to pay you back").
Question 87
According to the English Subject Centre report, skills needed for postgraduate work in English include:
A. Searching skills in libraries
B. Editorial skills
C. Bibliographic skills
D. Peer management skills
E. IT skills
Choose the correct option: (Note: The provided key and options often vary on this specific, obscure report question. The most robust academic skills from the list are A, C, and E).
Postgraduate work in English requires advanced research capabilities. This includes knowing how to navigate complex library databases (Searching skills), compiling and formatting extensive citations (Bibliographic skills), and utilizing modern digital archives and word processing (IT skills).
(Note: "Peer management" is generally a corporate skill, not a core literary postgraduate skill, making the official key selection of A, B, and D highly unusual and often contested in exam reviews).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Semiotics and Semantics?
Semiotics (or Semiology) is the broad study of all signs and symbols and how they create meaning (e.g., studying what a red traffic light means, or what a character wearing all black symbolizes). Semantics is a much narrower sub-field of linguistics that focuses specifically on the meaning of spoken or written words and sentences.
What causes "Fossilization" in language learning?
Fossilization occurs when an adult language learner achieves a level of competence that is "good enough" to communicate and be understood by native speakers. Because their immediate communicative needs are met, their brain stops adapting and correcting errors, cementing (fossilizing) their grammatical mistakes and non-native accent permanently.
Can you give another example of a "Performative" utterance?
According to J.L. Austin, saying "I bet you ten dollars it will rain" is a performative utterance. You are not describing a bet; the very act of speaking the sentence creates the bet. Other examples include "I apologize," "I resign," or a judge saying "I sentence you to ten years."
