Question

Cheng et al. (2016) argues that Californians are changing how they produce vowels, but that different people are (subconsciously) undergoing different changes largely based on what factor?

A) Age
B) Gender
C) Socioeconomic status
D) Education level
E) Ethnic background

Answer 1

According to Cheng et al. (2016), the factor influencing the changes in vowel production among Californians is ethnic background. The correct answer is E) Ethnic background.

Step-by-step explanation:

The factor identified by Cheng et al. (2016) as influencing the changes in how Californians produce vowels is ethnic background.

According to the research, different people are subconsciously undergoing different changes in vowel production largely based on their ethnic background. This means that individuals from different ethnic backgrounds may exhibit distinct vowel pronunciation patterns.

For example, individuals of different ethnic backgrounds may have different vowel sounds for words like 'caught' or 'cot', which can vary based on their particular language or cultural influences. This variance in vowel production aligns with sociolinguistic studies demonstrating the influence of social factors, including ethnicity, on language use and development.

Of particular note is the phenomenon of linguistic profiling, where variations in language rooted in ethnicity can lead to discrimination, as highlighted by the discriminatory treatment of African American Vernacular English (AAE) and Chicano-American English (CAE) compared to Standard American English (SAE).