Reading ComprehensionDifficulty: Easy

PT153 S4 P2 Q12 Explanation

Native American Languages

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Reading Comprehension question.

TopicsLocate DetailSociety

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Passage

This passage is based on an article published

Of the 300 indigenous languages spoken when European explorers reached what is now the United States, fewer than 150 survive today. Of these, one third are near extinction, with fewer than 100 surviving speakers. The decline of many of these languages is due in large part to misguided U.S. government policies: between At the same time, many indigenous communities are establishing radio stations that broadcast in native languages.

Because of the strong oral traditions of indigenous cultures, radio is a particularly effective tool for preserving native languages. It provides a natural and widely accessible means for the diffusion of native languages. In fact, some communities have consciously founded native language radio stations as a means of simultaneously promoting their languages rekindling the use of their languages and in helping younger generations understand idiomatic usage.

However, the growth of Internet use in many native communities could counter the influence of radio. In order to use this international computer network, many community members often find that they must devote considerable energy to mastering a standard language —generally English. Communities with radio stations have at their disposal a means effects of the Internet, it should resonate with the living oral traditions of indigenous communities.

One analyst noted recently that in native communities where English is a second language—i.e., spoken less frequently than a native language—there is an abundance of such programming, but where English is the primary language, what native language programming there is often takes the form of lessons, which can be unengaging and distant makes it easier for novice speakers to grasp the language by familiarizing them with its rhythms.

What this question is testing

Locate Detail

Your task

Pin down exactly what the question asks about the passage — a detail, the author's view, the structure, or the main point — before looking at the choices.

Common trap

Answers that restate a true detail from the passage but don't answer the specific question being asked.

Winning move

Anticipate the answer in your own words from the passage, then find the choice that matches that prediction.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
12.

The passage states that the study of native languages has

Answer choices

  1. Correct89% picked this

    in spite of residual effects of a misguided

    Why this is right

    We know that there has been a recent growth in the study of native languages "despite the residual effects of this effort [by the US government to mandate the teaching of English to all Native Americans]." Can we say, as this answer is saying, that this was a misguided mandate? Sure, because the beginning of the 3rd sentence says, "misguided US government policies" and then uses a colon to introduce an example of a misguided US government policy: mandating the teaching of English to all Native Americans.

    Skill tested: Locate Detail · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

  2. Out of Scope1% picked this

    because of a change in attitude on the part of government

    Out of Scope: change of attitude Unsupported Causal Relationship The first paragraph never says that the U.S. government changed their mind and was like, "Sike, you don't have to learn English. You should just study and preserve your native language." In fact the passage is suggesting the opposite of this causal relationship. It's not saying that the recent growth in study of native languages has happened because of the attitude of the U.S. government. It's saying it's happened in spite of the U.S. government's hostile attitude.

  3. Out of Scope2% picked this

    because of a growing awareness that the extinction of these languages would be a great

    Out of Scope: great loss to scholarship Unsupported Causal Relationship We are never told the causal reason for this recent growth in the study of languages. This answer pretends like we were told that the recent growth is because there is a greater awareness that if these languages go extinct, scholars won't be able to study them. There's nothing like that said in the 1st paragraph.

  4. Too Strong: supplanted Unsupported Causal Relationship8% picked this

    because the use of native language radio programming has supplanted more traditional means

    We are never told the causal reason for this recent growth in the study of languages. This answer pretends like we were told that the recent growth is because native radio shows have replaced more traditional means of language transmission. There's nothing like that said in the 1st paragraph. If anything the causality suggested is the reverse. It sounds like the recent growth in the study of native languages has led to the establishment of native radio stations. But neither is identified as the cause of the other. We're just told, "at the same time that one thing is happening, the other thing is happening'.

  5. Contradicted1% picked this

    in spite of a lack of native scholars to develop native

    There isn't a lack of native scholars developing native language curricula. We are told, to the contrary, that "more universities are offering language curricula developed by Native American scholars".

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