Artificial Language Test

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Language BackgroundDirections: Please answer the following questions on your answer sheet.

1. What is your native language?2. In what country do you formally reside?3. How long have you been in the United States?4. If applicable, in what subject did you receive

your Bachelor’s degree? Postbacheloriate?5. What other languages have you studied? *For each language listed, please rate your level of proficiency,

with “5” being highly proficient and “1” being not at all. Example: French--3

New Word Instructions

• I will be introducing you to four new words. Please pay attention to the meaning of each one.

New Word PracticeFour words

New word #1

kernearker

near

New word #2

yiefaryie

far

New word #3

etnearet

near

New word #4

qafarqa

far

kerkerNEAR

NEARNEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEARN E A R

near

near

nearnear

near

near

near

near

yieyieFAR

FARFAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FARF A R

far

far

farfar

far

far

far

far

etetNEAR

NEARNEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEAR

NEARN E A R

near

near

nearnear

near

near

near

near

qaqaFAR

FARFAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FAR

FARF A R

far

far

farfar

far

far

far

far

NEAR FAR

ker yieet qa

Do you know the meaning of the words yet?

Let’s play a game…

Practice

• I will post NEAR of FAR in one of the four colors.

• Try to figure out which one it is.

• To help you remember, say them out loud while you visualize the word.

Let’s do it!

FARqaWhich one is it?

ker yie et qa

25 sec.

NEARet

Which one is it?ker yie et qa

25 sec.

FARyie

Which one is it?ker yie et qa

25 sec.

NEARker

Which one is it?ker yie et qa

25 sec.

Training Task20 items

Training Instructions

• This is an experiment about how people formulate sentences in different languages.

• Different languages have different ways of saying things…

• Which raises the question of whether this forces people to think slightly differently in order to speak and understand different languages.

Training Instructions (cont’d)

• Here I am investigating this issue in a situation where the sentences are almost entirely in English…

• That is, apart from four words that you have just learned.

Training Instructions (cont’d)• In this language, each time an object is mentioned, it

is necessary to specify how far away it is from the subject of the sentence, whether it is “near” or “far.”

• The word that is used to do this also functions like the English word “the.”

The little boy patted ker tiger in the zoo.

• So, saying ker tiger is like saying “the-near tiger.”• In the context of this example, the word expresses the

idea that the boy is near to the tiger (obviously, because he is patting it).

Training Instructions (cont’d)

• Now, you will see a number of sentences.

• Please read each sentence over and on your answer sheet circle “near” or “far” whenever applicable.

Example:

The man grabbed ker wallaby by the

neck and carried him to the cage.

Answer Sheet

near far

Are you readyfor some practice?

Training (1 of 24)

The lady spent many hours sewing et dress.

NEAR or FAR

Training (2 of 24)

The woman ran after yie mouse.

NEAR or FAR

Training (3 of 24)

After my meal I went to the sink to wash et cup.

NEAR or FAR

Training (4 of 24)

At the auction the farmer decided he wanted to buy yie pig.

NEAR or FAR

Training (5 of 24)

I searched everywhere for qa book.

NEAR or FAR

Training (6 of 24)

The vet came to the farm to examine ker cow.

NEAR or FAR

Training (7 of 24)

The tourists struggled to see qa statue on the hill.

NEAR or FAR

Training (8 of 24)

I was scared when I heard the hiss of ker snakes.

NEAR or FAR

Training (9 of 24)

I left milk out for yie cat.

NEAR or FAR

Training (10 of 24)

I packed all of my belongings into et boxes.

NEAR or FAR

Training (11 of 24)

I searched everywhere for qa book.

NEAR or FAR

Training (12 of 24)

The lady spent many hours sewing et dress.

NEAR or FAR

Training (13 of 20)

After my meal I went to the sink to wash et cup.

NEAR or FAR

Training (14 of 24)

The vet came to the farm to examine ker cow.

NEAR or FAR

Training (15 of 24)

At the auction the farmer decided he wanted to buy yie pig.

NEAR or FAR

Training (16 of 24)

The woman ran after yie mouse.

NEAR or FAR

Training (17 of 24)

I packed all of my belongings into et boxes.

NEAR or FAR

Training (18 of 24)

The tourists struggled to see qa statue on the hill.

NEAR or FAR

Training (19 of 24)

I was scared when I heard the hiss of ker snakes.

NEAR or FAR

Training (20 of 24)

I left milk out for yie cat.

NEAR or FAR

Training (21 of 24)

The woman was stung by ker bees.

NEAR or FAR

Training (22 of 24)

The craftsman repaired et stool.

NEAR or FAR

Training (23 of 24)

The man spent the evening fixing et watch.

NEAR or FAR

Training (24 of 24)

The cat wanted to eat yie bird.

NEAR or FAR

Did you get them all right?

Remember…

NEAR ker or et

FAR yie or qa If you would like more practice, click the orange button below.

If you think you are ready,click the green button below.

Training Plus (1 of 16)

The waitress was told to go clear qa table.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (2 of 16)

The zookeeper struggled to control ker monkey.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (3 of 16)

The thieves searched the whole house for qa diamond.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (4 of 16)

The hunters came to trap yie lion.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (5 of 16)

I heard the sound of ker bee buzzing in my ear.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (6 of 16)

The drunk fell over et chair.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (7 of 16)

The customer pointed to his friends sitting at qa table.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (8 of 16)

At the bottom of the hill they could see qa fountain.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (9 of 16)

The boy went into the forest to feed ker rabbits.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (10 of 16)

We enjoyed observing yie birds perched in the trees above.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (11 of 16)

I had to read the manual to find out how to fix et toy.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (12 of 16)

At the far end of the factory I could see the workers building qa car.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (13 of 16)

She turned on et computer that was on her desk.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (14 of 16)

I couldn’t reach qa alarm clock that was beeping over on the dresser.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (15 of 16)

The girl licked et ice cream cone before it melted.

NEAR or FAR

Training Plus (16 of 16)

We could see yie deer from the front porch of our cabin.

NEAR or FAR

Up for a challenge?

Please say “yes.”

Test Directions

• You will be shown a sentence with a blank where one of the four new words should be.

• You will then be given a choice of two possible answers.

• Please select the answer that seems more familiar, better, or more appropriate.

Good Luck

!

Test #124 questions

Test #1 (1 of 24)

I was terrified when I turned around and saw ____ lion right behind me.

A or B

et lion ker lion

Test #1 (2 of 24)

While I was digging in the garden ____ bird came to eat worms next to me.

A or B

ker bird et bird

Test #1 (3 of 24)

The children threw sticks at ____ monkey in the tree.

A or B

qa monkey yie monkey

Test #1 (4 of 24)

The researchers studied ____ shark from a safe distance.

A or B

qa shark yie shark

Test #1 (5 of 24)

I spent an hour polishing ____ table before the dinner party.

A or B

et table ker table

Test #1 (6 of 24)

The archaeologists worked for months to restore ____ sculpture.

A or B

et sculpture ker sculpture

Test #1 (7 of 24)

In the pub I asked my friend to get ____ stool from the bar.

A or B

qa stool yie stool

Test #1 (8 of 24)

I could not sleep because of the chiming of ____ clock downstairs.

A or B

qa clock yie clock

Test #1 (9 of 24)

When I was out for a walk I patted ____ dog and it bit me.

A or B

ker dog et dog

Test #1 (10 of 24)

The farmer was kicked by ____ cow when he tried to milk it.

A or B

ker cow et cow

Test #1 (11 of 24)

Sitting under the tree I was bothered by ____ fly.

A or B

ker fly et fly

Test #1 (12 of 24)

The circus performer covered herself with ____ snakes.

A or B

et snakes ker snakes

Test #1 (13 of 24)

I covered hear ____ mouse scurrying around in the roof.

A or B

yie mouse qa mouse

Test #1 (14 of 24)

The fire brigade had to rescue ____ cat from the top of the tree.

A or B

qa cat yie cat

Test #1 (15 of 24)

I could hear ____ horse from the other side of the field.

A or B

qa horse yie horse

Test #1 (16 of 24)

I was terrified when I heard ____ bear roaring in the distance.

A or B

yie bear qa bear

Test #1 (17 of 24)

After work I fell asleep on ____ recliner in front the TV.

A or B

et recliner ker recliner

Test #1 (18 of 24)

I spent the night on ____ sofa and let my guests sleep in the beds.

A or B

et sofa ker sofa

Test #1 (19 of 24)

I knocked over ____ cup and the coffee spilled on my book.

A or B

et cup ker cup

Test #1 (20 of 24)

I can’t move in my office because ____ floor is covered in boxes.

A or B

ker floor et floor

Test #1 (21 of 24)

I couldn’t read the title of ____ book that was on the top shelf.

A or B

yie book qa book

Test #1 (22 of 24)

I had difficulty watching ____ television when it was on the other side of the room.

A or B

qa television yie television

Test #1 (23 of 24)

In the gallery we all admired ____ picture from the other side of the room.

A or B

yie picture qa picture

Test #1 (24 of 24)

At the fair they threw balls at ____ target to win a prize.

A or B

qa target yie target

Posttest #1 Survey

1. What criteria did you use to make your choices?

3. Other than near or far, could you identify another rule?

5. If yes, could you describe it if possible?

Test #224 questions

Test #2 (1 of 24)

In the Safari park the children were excited when ____ lion came up to the car.

A or B

ker lion et lion

Test #2 (2 of 24)

I was amazed when ____ bird ate from my hand.

A or B

et bird ker bird

Test #2 (3 of 24)

The sound of ____ monkeys in the rainforest was deafening.

A or B

qa monkeys yie monkeys

Test #2 (4 of 24)

The child screamed even though ____ bee was on the other side of the nursery.

A or B

qa bee yie bee

Test #2 (5 of 24)

The children all sat down at ____ table to play board games.

A or B

ker table et table

Test #2 (6 of 24)

As I was passing I knocked over ____ vase.

A or B

et vase ker vase

Test #2 (7 of 24)

We hoped that ____ stereo would be delivered in time for the party.

A or B

yie stereo qa stereo

Test #2 (8 of 24)

I looked up at ____ clock on the church and realized that I was late.

A or B

qa clock yie clock

Test #2 (9 of 24)

At bedtime I called to ____ dog but he would not come.

A or B

yie dog qa dog

Test #2 (10 of 24)

The walkers could see that ____ cow in the next field was in distress.

A or B

qa cow yie cow

Test #2 (11 of 24)

We heard the sound of ____ flies swarming around the dead animal.

A or B

yie flies qa flies

Test #2 (12 of 24)

I was alarmed to see ____ snakes approaching us very rapidly.

A or B

yie snakes qa snakes

Test #2 (13 of 24)

While I was sitting in the kitchen ____ mouse ran between my feet.

A or B

et mouse ker mouse

Test #2 (14 of 24)

The old woman liked to sit for hours with ____ cat on her lap.

A or B

et cat ker cat

Test #2 (15 of 24)

The farmer could not stand the smell of ____ pig when he cleared out its pen.

A or B

ker pig et pig

Test #2 (16 of 24)

The park warden reassured us that ____ bear was tame enough to stroke.

A or B

ker bear et bear

Test #2 (17 of 24)

When I had a backache I asked my wife to get ____ pillow from the bedroom.

A or B

qa pillow yie pillow

Test #2 (18 of 24)

While I was out for a walk I longed to sit on ____ sofa in my living room.

A or B

yie sofa qa sofa

Test #2 (19 of 24)

I had to stretch to reach ____ cup on the top shelf.

A or B

yie cup qa cup

Test #2 (20 of 24)

I asked the workers to carry ____ television from the van.

A or B

ker television et television

Test #2 (21 of 24)

In the library I laid my head on ____ book and went to sleep.

A or B

ker book et book

Test #2 (22 of 24)

The girl stayed up late watching ____ movie on the TV by her bed.

A or B

et movie ker movie

Test #2 (23 of 24)

The art critics examined ____ painting for hours.

A or B

et painting ker painting

Test #2 (24 of 24)

The baby broke ____ plate while eating breakfast.

A or B

ker plate et plate

Posttest #2 Survey

1. Did you figure out the rule?

3. If yes, could you describe it?

Posttest #2 Survey (cont’d)

• The rule was animacy.

• Ker and yie were used for living, animate things such as monkeys, cows, birds, etc.

• Et and qa were used for inanimate things such as clocks, statues, televisions, etc.

3. Did you consider this rule or were you using another criteria? If so, could you explain?

Thank you so much for

taking part in my study.

I greatly appreciate it.