INTRO SOCIOLINGUISTIC Flashcards
What is Sociolinguistics?
study of language in society, examining how demographic categories like age, ethnicity, and social class influence language use and the social dimensions of linguistic interactions.
Topics Addressed by Sociolinguistics
multilingualism, language variation, and interaction in language.
Main Interests of Sociolinguists
primarily interested in understanding how people use language to accomplish tasks and exploring how individuals shape their identities through language.
Example of Different Social Contexts and Styles
interactions between Ray and his mother versus the principal to understand varying levels of familiarity and formality
Saying the Same Thing in Different Ways
the variety of names individuals are called and exploring different ways individuals refer to their mothers in various situations.
Two Kinds of Norwegian: Linguistic Variation
Distinguishing between dialects within Norwegian language usage.
Definition of a Language Variety
A variety refers to any set of linguistic forms influenced by social factors, including accents, dialects, linguistic styles, and even different languages, used under specific social circumstances.
BANZL
An acronym referring to British, Australian, New Zealand, and American English dialects,
similarities and differences in the English language spoken in these regions.
Definition of Multilingualism
the ability of individuals or communities to use more than one language in everyday life.
Types of Language Variation
- regional dialects,
- social dialects,
- stylistic variation,
- historical changes in language over time.
Importance of Interaction in Language
the ways in people communicate with each other, influencing the development and use of language.
Sociolinguistic Methods
- interviews
- surveys
- participant observation
- corpus analysis to study language in society
Language Attitudes
individuals’ opinions or feelings towards different languages or language varieties
language ideologies
beliefs and assumptions about language and its use in society.
Language policy
government or institutional decisions about language use (academie francaise)
language planning
efforts to regulate, promote, or suppress particular languages or language varieties.
Sociolinguistic variation theory
how language varies systematically according to social factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and social class.
Ethnolinguistics
the study of the relationship between language and culture,
examining
how language reflects and shapes cultural identities and practices.
Sociolinguistic Change
shifts in language use and structure over time, influenced by social, cultural, and historical factors.
Sociolinguistic Implications of Globalization
Globalization has led to increased language contact, language mixing, and the spread of dominant languages, impacting linguistic diversity and language endangerment worldwide.
