Lebanese American University

ENG101
Fall 2020-2021
Zinnia Shweiry
Quiz
Synthesis Paragraph

Name: ___________Layane Elamine_________________

Read the articles below and synthesize in a paragraph of 150-200 words. Fill in the matrix suggested
to better select and organize your ideas. Make sure you cite in APA.

Extract 1

There is no agreed total for the number of languages spoken in the world today. Most reference books give
a figure of 4,000 to 5,000, but estimates have varied from 3,000 to 10,000. To see why there is such
uncertainty, we need to consider the many problems facing those who wish to obtain accurate information,
and also the reasons (linguistic, historical and cultural) which preclude a simple answer to the question
"What counts as a language?"

(Written by David Crystal, on page 284 of The Cambridge encyclopaedia of language. It was published by
Cambridge University Press, in Cambridge, UK, in 1987)

Extract 2

All speakers of English can talk to each other and pretty much understand each other. Yet no two speakers
speak exactly alike. Some differences are due to age, sex, state of health, size, personality, emotional state
and personal idiosyncrasies. That each person speaks somewhat differently from all others is shown by our
ability to recognise acquaintances by hearing them talk. The unique characteristics of the language of an
individual speaker are referred to as the speaker's idiolect. English may then be said to consist of
400,000,000 idiolects, or the number equal to the number of native speakers.

Beyond these individual differences, the language of a group of people may show regular variations from
that used by other groups of speakers of that language. When the English spoken by speakers in different
geographical regions and from different social groups shows systematic differences, the groups are said to
speak different dialects of the same language. The dialects of a single language may thus be defined as
mutually intelligible forms of that language which differ in systematic ways from each other.

(From: An introduction to language, by Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman. The book was written in 1983
and was published by Holt-Saunders in New York. The extract comes from page 245.)

Extract 3

The often-quoted dictum, "a language is a dialect with an army and a navy", attests to the importance of
political power and the recognised sovereignty of a nation-state in the recognition of a variety as a language
rather than a dialect.

(From: The Oxford companion to the English language, 1992, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, by
Tom McArthur, page 291.)

Extract 4

It should also be made clear here that, mutual unintelligibility is not evidence that the "native" language or
mother tongue of two speakers is not the same. For, as in the case of Mandarin, Chung King and
Cantonese dialects of Chinese, and many dialects of Arabic, it is entirely possible that people can be native
speakers of the same language and yet not understand each other.

(From: An introduction to language and communication, page 137. This book was published in 1994 by MTI
 Publications. It was published in Cambridge, UK and was written by Ashley James, Jane Richards and
Harry Roberts.)

1. Matrix: (5%)

Extract 1 Extract 2 Extract 3 Extract 4

(Author, year) (Author, year) (Author, year) (Author, year)

Thesis statement Even though all English It is considered Having two native
There is no accurate speakers can understand important that a country speakers of the same
numbers of how many on one another, it is rare admits the difference in country does not mean
languages are spoken in to find two of them who language like they do that they speak the
the world. speak alike. with dialects. same language.

Main idea A Most reference books Yet no two speakers the recognized mutual unintelligibility
(supporting give a figure of 4,000 to speak exactly alike. Some sovereignty of a nation- is not evidence that the
detail) 5,000,but estimates have differences are due to state in the recognition of "native" language or
varied from 3,000 to age, sex, state of health, a variety as a language mother tongue of two
10,000. size, personality, rather than a dialect. speakers is not the
emotional state and same.
personal idiosyncrasies.
Main idea B the language of a group
(supporting of people may show
detail) regular variations from
that used by other
groups of speakers of
that language.
Main idea C
(supporting
detail)

2. Use the matrix to develop a synthesis paragraph, a summary from the multiple sources listed. Write a title for your
paragraph. (15%)

A language is considered a method of communication between people, while a dialect is a variation in the same
language. The number of languages spoken around the world is not exactly known, and the estimated numbers are
way far from being accurate since the estimation of the variation is between 3000 and 10000 (extract 1). Coming to
the same spoken languages, like English, all the speakers can understand on one another, but it is rare to find two
of them who speak exactly alike and that is due to a lot of factors, one of them, the personality of each person.
(extract 2). English is a language spoken for example all over the united states, but it is an important thing that a
country admits that there is a difference in language found between the same community (extract 3). Now
speaking of the same country, we can have people who not only speak with different dialects but also different
language and an example on that, we can mention China (extract 4). It is now clear that there is no easy answer
about the number of languages spoken around the world, since we not only find different dialects in each country,
but also different languages in the same one which makes it an even harder task to complete.