Language and Social Identity/Class

Question 1

Labov- Martha’s Vineyard study findings

Answer 1

• young islanders were using the fishermans old-style pronunciation. (social identity reasons and to differ from the summer people)
• even well educated islanders exploited this non standard dialect.

Question 2

Labov- Department Store study findings

Answer 2

• tested the words ‘fourth’ and ‘floor’
• designed a question to elicit the answer ‘fourth floor’
• pretended to not hear the response and asked the sales assistant to repeat.
• those with higher socioeconomic status pronounced the /r/ more frequently.
• Saks= 62%, Macy’s= 51%, Klein’s=20%

Question 3

define convergence (Giles- Accommodation Theory)

Answer 3

where 2 speakers move closer to one another for effective communication.

Question 4

define divergence (Giles- Accommodation Theory)

Answer 4

where 2 speakers move away from one another.

Question 5

define upwards convergence

Answer 5

1 party has to make more of a conscious effort to move to the standard language

Question 6

define downwards convergence

Answer 6

1 party uses more non standard english

Question 7

define mutual convergence

Answer 7

both parties change their language for effective communication

Question 8

Norwich study (Trudgill) findings

Answer 8

• h dropping
• -ing suffix e.g. runnin’
• overt and covert prestige
• w/c ppl used more non-standard language forms
• m/c more likely to use -ing

Question 9

define overt prestige

Answer 9

using more standard language forms for status

Question 10

define covert prestige

Answer 10

using more non-standard language forms for status

Question 11

define diphthong

Answer 11

double vowel sound

Question 12

define code switching

Answer 12

when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation.

Question 13

Bernstein elaborated/restricted code

Answer 13

M.c. elaborated (used in school, law, official, broad) W.c. restricted (specific, vernacular, context dependant)