LSAT 114 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q19

LR Question 19 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Their statements commit Professors Beckstein and Sedley…

QUESTION TYPE: Point at Issue

ARGUMENTS: Beckstein points out that American sign language is the native language of many North Americans. Therefore it should not be permitted as a foreign language course.

Sedley points out that French and Spanish are the native languages of many North Americans as well. Yet it would be silly to ban them from being foreign languages courses.

ANALYSIS: Beckstein has a point but he is also being quite dense. When people say “foreign language” they really mean: “language that you do not currently speak.”

Their main point of disagreement is whether we ought to prohibit a language from being used as a foreign language if some North Americans speak it as a first language.

___________

1. Sedley implicitly agrees but he doesn’t think it is important.
2. This is a different issue. Neither of them mentions English as a non-native language.
3. This goes too far. Even Beckstein doesn’t question the native language requirement. It’s just that he thinks sign language shouldn’t count.
4. The two professors are only talking about their own university.
5. CORRECT. Beckstein thinks that it does. Sedley thinks this is absurd.