Which statement best describes dialect as used in the material?

• A. A dialect is a language variety only used with friends
• B. A dialect is a totally separate language
• C. A dialect is a language variety different from the majority language but learned at birth alongside the majority language
• D. A dialect is a language variety that other members of the class share with respect to pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar

Answer: (D)

Dialect refers to a language variety that is shared by a community and shows itself in how people speak, including differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. The description that best fits this idea is that a dialect is a language variety that other members of the class share with respect to pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. This emphasizes that a dialect is a social variety used by a group, not a completely separate language or something defined by casual use with friends.

The other options miscast what a dialect is. It’s not simply something restricted to a “friends” circle, so that description is too narrow. It isn’t a totally separate language, since dialects are varieties of the same language. And while dialects can be learned in childhood, defining them as “different from the majority language but learned at birth alongside it” treats them more like a distinct bilingual situation rather than a shared regional or social variety.