Language Attitudes and Perceptions Flashcards
How do linguistics know if a variety is functional?
If it serves its linguistic purpose.
What are Folk meta-linguists?
Non linguistic judgments on language more prescriptive as opposed to descriptive and more subjective as opposed to objective
Bernstein - Restricted and elaborated codes. what was he talking about here?
How some varieties more aqequotely fill functions that other varieties.
Bernstein vs. Labov
What did labov argue?
Home language of black community is perfectly adequate for logical thought and learning
What are the problems with non-linguisitic views?
They are inconsistant and attitudes owards certain varieties differ in different regions
How do Attitudes arise?
There is a correlation between language and social identity
What is the Imposed-Norm-Hypothesis?
Cultural context determines how we PERCIEVE a variety therefore certain varieties (usually spoken by high-status speakers) are imposed as the norm.
RP and the Imposed-Norm-Hypothesis
Rp is the accent associated with the educated and those in authority. It is the variety spoken by those at the top of the social hierarchy
RP is therefore associated with high social status.
RP itself is pretigious reflecting high social status
What is Overt Prestige?
Beliefs about a varient that we onsciously express, normally the most influential place e.g. RP =higherclass
What is Covert Prestige?
Knowing that the variety is inferior but it is valued in ones community - street smart
What is a Verbal Guise Technique?
Series of speakers reads the same piece of prose and then participants have to fll in a questionnaire assessing each speaker
What are the issues with a verbal guise technique?
Inconsistances in reading style and delivery
What is a matched guise technique?
A speaker will e recorded using more than one accent and then respondents will undertake a task assessing each speaker
Problems with a matched guise technique?
Hard for speakers to avoid stereotyping in accent replicaion
Hard to find a speaker that has the ability to use a range of accents
