Dialects, Sociolects, Idiolects

Question 1

What is a dialect?

Answer 1

A form of language with distinct features of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Question 2

How many dialects does each language have?

Answer 2

Multiple and they can be divided up into many different categories.

Question 3

Why are they called dialects and not languages?

Answer 3

Because they are mutually intelligible versions of the same language

Question 4

What are regional dialects?

Answer 4

Dialects which are specific to a certain graphological area

Question 5

How does dialect differ from accent?

Answer 5

It is a broader term and accent only refers to the pronunciation used

Question 6

What can also be said about accent and dialect?

Answer 6

Dialect could also only be seen to refer to vocabulary and grammar.
Therefore a specific dialect may be spoken with a number of different accents

Question 7

What dialect is very popular to be spoken in different accents?

Answer 7

Standard English

Question 8

What is a “standard” variety of dialect?

Answer 8

It is the widely accepted dialect (SE) and is the most socially prestigious dialect, being favoured by education, government and written communications

Question 9

Where did Standard English originally come from?

Answer 9

South East England

London, Cambridge, Oxford

Question 10

What are Sociolects?

Answer 10

The variety of language used by a particular social group

Question 11

What are the basis of sociolects?

Answer 11

Socio-economic status
Age
Occupation
Education
Gender
Belief system and culture

Question 12

What is believed about sociolects of different socio-economic statuses?

Answer 12

People from different social statuses will use language in different ways:

Question 13

What are the differences of language use in different socio-economic status groups?

Answer 13

People from a higher social status are more likely to use a variety closer to Standard English and Received Pronunciation
People from a lower social status are more likely to use regional variations

Question 14

What is believed about sociolects of different age groups?

Answer 14

Most notable difference between teenagers and older members of the same community

Question 15

What are the differences of language use in different age groups?

Answer 15

Teenagers include more non-standard and slang forms, this strengthens their identity and separates them from the world of adults

Question 16

What is believed about sociolects of different occupations?

Answer 16

Each has its own jargon and specific lexis as well as slang used to make conversation humorous or more economical than using the SE equivalent

Question 17

What is believed about sociolects of people with different educational backgrounds?

Answer 17

People who are more educated are more likely to use Standard English and Received Pronunciation than regional dialects

Question 18

What is believed about sociolects of men and women’s languages?

Answer 18

They use language in different ways

Question 19

What are the differences of language use for the two genders?

Answer 19

Women tend to use more prestigious forms, being closer to Standard English and Received Pronunciation
Women are also more cooperative and offer more encouragement and sympathetic feedback, whereas men are more competitive and are inclined to interrupt

Question 20

What is believed about sociolects of different religious and cultural backgrounds?

Answer 20

Use of specialist vocabulary of certain groups

However this has spread more due to society being multicultural

Question 21

What are idiolects?

Answer 21

The language used which is unique to a specific individual

Question 22

What affects a person’s idiolect?

Answer 22

Where they are from
Their social background
How they were educated
Personal characteristics

Question 23

What affects a person’s social background?

Answer 23

Who they’re friends with and are they a part of any groups or clubs
Generally their sociolect

Question 24

How can personal characteristics affect someone’s idiolect?

Answer 24

If they have particular feelings or emotions
Their general personality
e.g. nervousness = use of more fillers