This assessment consists of ten multiple choice questions. Select the best answer to each question. If you are not sure of the correct answer, take your best guess. Each question has only one correct answer.

1. Which one of the following terms is not synonymous with the term African-American English?

  • African American Language
  • Black Street Speech
  • Negro Dialect
  • Black English
  • Creole English

2. Why is the term Ebonics not synonymous with the term African-American English?

  • Ebonics is a pejorative term that should be avoided.
  • Ebonics is not a term used by language experts.
  • Ebonics encompasses more language varieties than just African-American English.
  • Ebonics is an out-of-date term that is rarely used today.
  • Ebonics only refers to the African-American English spoken on the West Coast of the United States.

3. African-American English is spoken by …

  • Some African-Americans in the United States, but no other groups.
  • All African-Americans in the rural South.
  • Many African-Americans and some non-African-Americans throughout the United Sates.
  • All African-Americans who were born and raised in the rural South and large cities in the United States.
  • All African-American teenagers in large urban areas.

4. Which of the following statements about the word ain’t is correct?

  • It is used mostly by persons with little formal education.
  • It is used almost exclusively in Appalachia and the Southeastern United States.
  • It is rarely used by people who can speak Standard English.
  • It is used by many speakers of African-American English, Appalachian English, and Southern English.
  • All of the statements above are correct.

5. Which of the following statements about Standard English is true?

  • Grammar and Standard English mean about the same thing.
  • There is only one form of Standard English.
  • Standard English is the variety of English with the clearest and most logical rules.
  • Standard English is the variety of English spoken by the most educated members of society.
  • There are some parts of the United States where the predominant variety of English is not Standard English.

6. According to the Creolist Theory of the origin of African-American English …

  • African-American English emerged when enslaved speakers of West African languages interacted with speakers of British English, leading to the creation of a new language variety.
  • African-American English and Haitian Creole arose at about the same time and in the same place.
  • African-American English is an offshoot of Louisiana Creole.
  • African-American English began as a regional variety of English like most other varieties of American English.
  • None of the statements above is correct.

7. Which of the following linguistic features of African-American English provides the strongest support for the Creolist Theory of the origin of African-American English?

  • Double modals (e.g., He might could do it.)
  • Habitual be (e.g., They be fighting on the way to school every day.)
  • Zero copula/copula deletion (e.g., We good.)
  • Deletion of the phoneme /r/ in word-final position (e.g., Floor and flow are homophones)
  • The pronunciation of ask as [æks]

8. Which of the following statements about the Anglicist Theory of the origin of African-American English is correct?

  • It is favored by the majority of linguists today.
  • It cannot fully account for the origin of African-American English.
  • It assumes that African-American English originated outside the United States.
  • It is unsupported by historical records.
  • None of the statements above is correct.

9. Which of the following statements about African-American English in Miami is true?

  • African-American English is spoken as a home language variety in most parts of Miami.
  • Because Spanish is the dominant language in Miami, few people speak African-American English in the city.
  • African-American English is widely spoken in Miami by non-African-Americans.
  • African-American English is spoken as a home language variety in a few parts of Miami by a minority of the population in those neighborhoods.
  • None of the statements above is true.

10. Why is it important for ESL instructors to know about African-American English?

  • Understanding language variation is a useful skill for ESL instructors.
  • Issues related to Standard English frequently arise in class.
  • Many English learners who interact with speakers of African-American English outside the classroom experience difficulties communicating successfully.
  • African-American English is spoken by millions of people in the United States.
  • All of the statements above are correct.