Key terms- language and social groups

Question 1

Social group

Answer 1

People that have something in common and form a community

Question 2

Social class

Answer 2

A division of society based on economic or social status

Question 3

Sociolinguistics

Answer 3

The study of the relationship between language use and social factors

Question 4

Theolinguistics

Answer 4

The study of the relationship between language use and religion

Question 5

Sociolect

Answer 5

The style of language used within a particular social group

Question 6

Genderlect

Answer 6

A style of language thought to be distinctive of men and woman

Question 7

Dialect

Answer 7

A style of language used within a particular geographical region

Question 8

Ethnolect

Answer 8

A style of language thought to be a characteristic of an ethnic group

Question 9

Familect

Answer 9

A style of language used within a family. Coined by Harriet Powney

Question 10

Idiolect

Answer 10

An individuals personal language use

Question 11

Pragmatic rules

Answer 11

The unspoken rules that operate in interactions between people who share common understanding

Question 12

Social networks

Answer 12

A network of relations between people in their membership of different groups

Question 13

Density

Answer 13

The number of connections that people have in their social network

Question 14

Multiplexity

Answer 14

The number of ways in which two individuals may relate to each other in a social ne

Question 15

Network density score

Answer 15

A score milroy gave people based on working together, living close to family members and socialising with each other

Question 16

Diphthong

Answer 16

A sound that combines two vowels in a signal syllable eg coin, loud

Question 17

Convergence

Answer 17

Becoming more similar to another persons language use.

Question 18

Divergence

Answer 18

Becoming more different from a persons language use

Question 19

Upward convergence

Answer 19

Convergence where a regional speaker becomes more RP. It shows they like the RP speaker

Question 20

Downward convergence

Answer 20

Convergence where a RP speaker becomes more regional. It means they like the regional speaker

Question 21

Overt prestige

Answer 21

Status gained from public approval/recognition

Question 22

Covert prestige

Answer 22

Status gained from peer-group approval/recognition

Question 23

Preconsonantal position

Answer 23

A sound produced before a constant eg fourth

Question 24

Final position

Answer 24

A sound produced at the end of a word eg floor

Question 25

Velar nasal

Answer 25

The name given to the /n/ sound eg king, tang

Question 26

Observers paradox

Answer 26

A situation in which the phenomenon begin observed is unwittingly influenced y the presence of an observer/investigator

Question 27

H-dropping

Answer 27

Omitting the /h/ sound at the start of words eg hat. horrible, hospital

Question 28

Hypercorrection

Answer 28

Using language that is wrongly deemed to be correct because it is associated with a more prestigious variety. It often refers to the wrong pronunciations.

Question 29

Restricted code

Answer 29

Language that focuses on the here and now

Question 30

Elaborated code

Answer 30

Language that is much more explicit and independent of context

Question 31

Community of practise

Answer 31

A concept conceived by Lave and Wenger. It refers to a group of people who have come together and have established ways of doing things and interacting in order to achieve a shared purpose. Similar to a discourse community.

Question 32

Vernacular

Answer 32

The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.