Obtaining Linguistic Data Reading Answer
Obtaining Linguistic Data Reading Answer is an IELTS academic reading passage. obtaining linguistic data ielts reading contains questions from the previous year. IELTS reading assesses a candidate's comprehension abilities. IELTS Reading is one of the sections from the IELTS exam which tests the reading skills of the students and identifies their proficiency. The following IELTS academic reading passage contains two sorts of questions:
- Choose the matching paragraph
- No more three words
Candidates can find similar topics from IELTS reading practice papers.
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Obtaining Linguistic Data Reading Answer
A.
Many procedures are available for obtaining data about a language. They range from a carefully planned, intensive field investigation in a foreign country to a casual introspection about one's mother tongue carried out in an armchair at home.
B.
In all cases, someone has to act as a source of language data - an informant Informants are (ideally) native speakers of a language, who provide utterances for analysis and other kinds of information about the language (e.g. translations, comments about correctness, or judgements on usage). Often, when studying their mother tongue, linguists act as their own informants, judging the ambiguity, acceptability, or other properties of utterances against their own intuitions. The convenience of this approach makes it widely used, and it is considered the norm in the generative approach to linguistics. But a linguist's personal judgements are often uncertain, or disagree with the judgements of other linguists, at which point recourse is needed to more objective methods of enquiry, using non-linguists as informants.
The latter procedure is unavoidable when working on foreign languages, or child speech.
C.
Many factors must be considered when selecting informants - whether one is working with single speakers (a common situation when languages have not been described before), two people interacting, small groups or large-scale samples. Age, sex, social background and other aspects of identity are important, as these factors are known to influence the kind of language used. The topic of conversation and the characteristics of the social setting (e.g. the level of formality) are also highly relevant, as are the personal qualities of the informants (e.g. their fluency and consistency). For larger studies, scrupulous attention has been paid to the sampling theory employed, and in all cases, decisions have to be made about the best investigative techniques to use.
D.
Today, researchers often tape-record informants. This enables the linguist's claims about the language to be checked, and provides a way of making those claims more accurate ('difficult' pieces of speech can be listened to repeatedly). But obtaining naturalistic, good-quality data is never easy. People talk abnormally when they know they are being recorded, and sound quality can be poor. A variety of tape-recording procedures have thus been devised to minimize the 'observer's paradox' (how to observe the way people behave when they are not being observed). Some recordings are made without the speakers being aware of the fact - a procedure that obtains very natural data, though ethical objections must be anticipated. Alternatively, attempts can be made to make the speaker forget about the recording, such as keeping the tape recorder out of sight, or using radio microphones. A useful technique G is to introduce a topic that quickly involves the speaker, and stimulates a natural language style (e.g. asking older informants about how times have changed in their locality).
E.
An audio tape recording does not solve all the linguist's problems, however. Speech is often unclear and ambiguous. Where possible, therefore, the recording has to be supplemented by the observer's written comments on the non-verbal behavior of the participants, and about the context in general. A facial expression, for example, can dramatically alter the meaning of what is said. Video recordings avoid these problems to a large extent, but even they have limitations (the camera cannot be everywhere), and transcriptions always benefit from any additional commentary provided by an observer.
F.
Linguists also make great use of structured sessions, in which they systematically ask their informants for utterances that describe certain actions, objects or behaviors. With a bilingual informant, or through use of an interpreter, it is possible to use translation techniques (‘How do you say table in your language?'). A large number of points can be covered in a short time, using interview worksheets and questionnaires. Often, the researcher wishes to obtain information about just a single variable, in which case a restricted set of questions may be used: a particular feature of pronunciation, for example, can be elicited by asking the informant to say a restricted set of words. There are also several direct methods of elicitation, such as asking informants to fill in the blanks in a substitution frame (e.g. I_see a car), or feeding them the wrong stimulus for correction ('Is it possible to say / no can see?').
G.
A representative sample of language, compiled for the purpose of linguistic analysis, is known as a corpus. A corpus enables the linguist to make unbiased statements about frequency of usage, and it provides accessible data for the use of different researchers. Its range and size are variable. Some corpora attempt to cover the language as a whole, taking extracts from many kinds of text; others are extremely selective, providing a collection of material that deals only with a particular linguistic feature. The size of the corpus depends on practical factors, such as the time available to collect, process and store the data: it can take up to several hours to provide an accurate transcription of a few minutes of speech. Sometimes a small sample of data will be enough to decide a linguistic hypothesis; by contrast, corpora in major research projects can total millions of words. An important principle is that all corpora, whatever their size, are inevitably limited in their coverage, and always need to be supplemented by data derived from the intuitions of native speakers of the language, through either introspection or experimentation.
Section 2
Solution with Explanation
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs labeled A-G. Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.
NB: You may use any letter more than once.
Question 27: The effect of recording on the way people talk.
Answer: D
Supportive Sentence: people talk abnormally when they know they are being recorded, and sound quality can be poor.
Keywords: abnormally, people
Keyword Location: Line 4th, Paragraph D
Explanation: it’s been mentioned in Para D that people get awkward and start talking abnormally whenever they come to know that they have been documented.
Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples
Question 28: The importance of taking notes on body language.
Answer: E
Supportive Sentence: Where possible, therefore, the recording has to be supplemented by the observer’s written comments on the non-verbal behavior of the participants, and about the context in several.
Keywords: non linguistic
Keyword Location: Line 2nd, Paragraph E
Explanation: It's been talked about that audio tapes do not always solve linguistic problems. Hence the taking notes should be done hand on hand along with the recordings.
Question 29: the fact that language is influenced by social situations.
Answer: C
Supportive Sentence: Age, sex, social background and other aspects of identity are important, as these factors are known to influence the kind of language used.
Keywords: social, language
Keyword Location: Line 2nd, Paragraph C
Explanation: its been talked that sex, age and social background along with several other factors have an impact on the language of a person.
Question 30: how informants can be helped to be less self-conscious
Answer: D
Supportive Sentence: Alternatively, attempts can be made to make the speaker forgets about the recording, such as keeping the tape recorder out of sight, or using radio microphones.
Keywords: conscious, recording
Keyword Location: Line 7th, Paragraph D
Explanation: Paragraph D talks about how we can make the person less conscious or less aware of recording and states different ways for the same like keeping recorders away from vision etc.
Question 31: various methods that can be used to generate specific data
Answer: F
Supportive Sentence: Linguists also make great use of structured sessions, in which they systematically ask their informants for utterances that describe certain actions, objects or behaviors.
Keywords: methods
Keyword Location: 1st Line, Paragraph
Explanation: The paragraph talks about the diverse ways to get data by using structured sessions.
Questions 32-36:
Complete the table below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
write your answers in boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet.
| Methods of obtaining Linguistic Data | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| 32_______ as informant | convenient | method of enquiry not objective enough |
| non-linguist as informant | necessary with 33_______ and child speech | the number of factors to be considered |
| recording an informant | allows linguists’ claims to be checked | 34_______ of sound |
| videoing an informant | allows speakers’ 35_______ to be observed | 36_______ might miss certain things |
Question 32:
Answer: (the) linguist (acts)// (the) linguists (act)
Supportive Sentence: Often, when studying their mother tongue, linguists act as their own informants, judging the ambiguity, acceptability, or other properties of utterances against their own intuitions.
Keywords: linguistic acts
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, 2nd Line
Explanation: it talks about how linguistic acts are convenient when we study other cultures or people.
Question 33:
Answer: foreign languages
Supportive Sentence: The latter procedure is unavoidable when working on foreign languages, or child speech.
Keywords: linguistic, child speech
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Last Line
Explanation: it is the answer because as cited in the paragraph the non linguistics is only possible when one is familiar with foreign language
Question 34:
Answer: quality// the quality// the poor quality
Supportive Sentence: People talk abnormally when they know they are being recorded, and sound quality can be poor.
Keywords: quality, recorded
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, 4th Line
Explanation: it has been mentioned that when a person is being documented then they start talking nervously and get anxious which affects the quality of sound.
Question 35:
Answer: non-verbal behavior// non-verbal behavior
Supportive Sentence: Where possible, therefore, the recording has to be supplemented by the observer’s written comments on the non-verbal behavior of the participants, and about the context in several.
Keywords: recording, non verbal behavior
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 2nd Line
Explanation: it's been mentioned that recording a person helps to understand the non verbal behavior of an informant.
Question 36:
Answer: camera// video camera// recording// video recording
Supportive Sentence: Video recordings avoid these problems to a large extent, but even they have limitations (the camera cannot be everywhere), and transcriptions always benefit from any additional commentary provided by an observer.
Keywords: camera, recording
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 3rd Line
Explanation: it says that along with the benefits of recording there are several disadvantages too which include that I won’t be able to carry a camera everywhere etc.
Questions 37-40:
Complete the summary of paragraph G below,
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in bores 37-40 on your answer sheet.
A linguist can use a corpus to comment objectively on 37_____ Some corpora include a wide range of language while others are used to focus on a 38_____ The length of time the process takes will affect the 39_____ of the corpus. No corpus can ever cover the whole
language and so linguists often find themselves relying on the additional information that can be gained from the 40_____ of those who speak the language concerned.
Question 37:
Answer: frequency of usage// usage frequency
Supportive Sentence: A corpus enables the linguist to make unbiased statements about frequency of usage, and it provides accessible data for the use of different researchers. Its range and size are variable.
Keywords: corpus, frequency, linguist
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 2nd Line
Explanation: the sentence talks about how linguistics gives us information about frequency usage and gives handy data.
Question 38:
Answer: particular linguistic feature
Supportive Sentence: Some corpora attempt to cover the language as a whole, taking extracts from many kinds of text; others are extremely selective, providing a collection of material that deals only with a particular linguistic feature.
Keywords: corpora, linguistic
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 4th Line
Explanation: it talks about how some corpora cover oration as a whole and while some of it focuses on a particular linguistic feature.
Question 39:
Answer: size
Supportive Sentence: The size of the corpus depends on practical factors, such as the time available to collect, process and store the data: it can take up to several hours to provide an accurate transcription of a few minutes of speech.
Keywords: size, corpus
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 5th Line
Explanation: It talks about how the length of the corpus depends upon the available time involved in storing and processing the data.
Question 40:
Answer: intuitions
Supportive Sentence: An important principle is that all corpora, what-Even their size, are inevitably limited in their Coverage, and always need to be supplemented by data derived from the intuitions of native speakers of the language, through either introspection or experimentation.
Keywords: introspection, corpora, intuitions
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 7th Line
Explanation: the paragraph focuses on things that apart from the size, the information should be supplemented by the intuitions.
Comments