Chapter 1 - Intro and terminology

Question 1

Define Power

Answer 1

“the ability to control events in order to achieve one’s aims”\ and the control someone has over the outcomes of other”

• Power is pervasive in society (exists in every society) and is therefor present in speech

Question 2

Define solidarity

Answer 2

(opposite of power) = motivation causing individuals to act together

Question 3

what is convergent accommodation? example?

Answer 3

We subconsciously alter our speech to stress solidarity with the other speaker
Ex. trudgill adapting to his interviewees speech (glottal stops)

Question 4

what are marked and unmarked variants? example

Answer 4

unmarked = normally used, marked = not normal (culture specific)
“how are you is unmarked in canada but marked in Germany

Question 5

define society

Answer 5

Any group of people who are drawn together for a certain purpose or purposes

Question 6

define Language

Answer 6

What the members of a particular society speak

Question 7

Define code

Answer 7

The system used when 2 or more people communicate (synonym of Language)

Question 8

What is a multilingual speaker?

Answer 8

has access to multiple codes

Question 9

What is grammar?

Answer 9

A system of rules that define its elements/items and usage. How the morphology and syntax are combined (known by all speakers)

Question 10

What does it mean to know a grammar?

Answer 10

• Individual knowledge and collective/shared knowledge

- Rules and principles (what is part of the L, possible in that L and appropriate)

Question 11

What is the chomskyan approach?

Answer 11

we are born with a set of universal rules, based on:

• The learnability of L (100% success)
• Shared characteristics of L
• Rules/principles (universal grammar)
• Children’s ability to learn L ( they do not just repeat, they acquire a set of rules)
• He doesn’t care how L is used

Question 12

What is competence and performance

Answer 12

Competence: What people know about their language’s grammar
Performance: How people actually USE their language

Question 13

What is Linguistic competence?

Answer 13

How well you know the grammar of a Language and can explain it to others > what you KNOW

Question 14

What is Communicative competence?

Answer 14

How people exploit the elements of their language for communicative purposes > how you COMMUNICATE

Question 15

What is an ideolect?

Answer 15

The particular way a person speaks
• Pronunciation
• Word choice
• Syntax

Question 16

define Variety

Answer 16

A specific set of linguistic items and human speech patterns associated with external factors (education, background)
ex. Newfoundland english, skater talk

Question 17

Define Vernacular

Answer 17

The speech of a particular country or region transmitted from parent to child as the primary medium of communication (informal variety of the standard) - what you speak at home

Question 18

What is a dialect?

Answer 18

Forms of a language that differ in systematic ways > language is a collection of its dialects
* language can’t be superior to a dialect

Question 19

What is a pluricentric language

Answer 19

A language with multiple varieties spoken in different geographical areas

ex. Yugosolvia = Serbo-Croatian
- it fell apart into different countries
- now the same L has different names: Bosnian, serbian, croation
* This is a purely political decision

Question 20

How do we distinguish between two Languages?

Answer 20

Completely arbitrary!

• # of rules doesn’t matter
• Mutual intelligibility doesn’t matter (cockney english and NA english)
• purely political decision to stress national identity

Question 21

What is a dialect continuum? example?

Answer 21

• dialects sequentially arranged over space
• each variety understands it’s neighbour but dialects from the opposite ends are unintelligible
  ex. German and the Netherlands: people living near border can understand each other even though on the Netherlands side the L is dutch and the other side is German
• it’s all because of national identity

Question 22

What is asymmetric intelligibility? example

Answer 22

Speakers of one language can understand the other but not vice versa

ex. German vs. Dutch/danish
- dutch danish are said to understand german better than the germans understand dutch
* maybe germans just don’t want to because they have more power

Question 23

what is the ‘popular definition of a dialect?

Answer 23

A corrupt form of a language that is inferior to the standard
= FALSE

Question 24

What is sociolinguistic knowledge?

Answer 24

• It is unconscious, automatic
• It is known from birth
• Every time we open our mouth we apply this knowledge automatically

Question 25

define sociolinguistics

Answer 25

The study of the relationship between Language use and the structure of society

Question 26

what are the two types of sociolinguistics?

Answer 26

a) Sociolinguistics (micro-Sociolinguistics):the way people talk and how language varieties and patterns of use correlate with social attributes
b) Sociology of Language (Macro-Sociolinguistics): Studies what societies do with their languages

Question 27

Does linguistic competence lead to communicative competence?

Answer 27

NO. you can have linguistic competence without communicative competence. For example learning french in school then going to france and being unable to communicate

Question 28

Define variation

Answer 28

→ Different ways of referring to the same thing according to different situations in order to achieve a semantic effect.
• Variation is the gateway to linguistic change that can be permanent

Question 29

A language is a sum of its________

Answer 29

varieties

Question 30

what does this quote mean “A language is a dialect with an army and a navy”

Answer 30

→ The factor that wins is political boundaries and their national identity