Lecture 2

Question 1

What is variation

Answer 1

• The realization of the same words or meaning in different ways
• Each pronounciation is associated with diff. varieties

Question 2

Define Variable

Answer 2

The linguistics feature you are inverstigating

Question 3

Define Variant

Answer 3

The actual realisation or instantation of the variable

Question 4

Describe how Variables and variants are presented in a graph

Answer 4

Variables: presented i round brackets and on the top of the tree graph
Variants: presented in square brackets and in the roots of the tree graph

Question 5

What is phonological variables

Answer 5

Using different pronounciation of the same word or phrase

Question 6

What is Grammatical( or morphosyntactic) variables

Answer 6

• using different grammartical structure to express the same meaning
• often see as”standard” or “non-standard”

Question 7

What is lexical variable

Answer 7

using differnt words to represent the same idea

Question 8

what are the differences between Linguistic variable and Sociolinguistic variable?

Answer 8

Linguistic variable(e.g. phonological variable)
- regular categorical, alternation
- more predictable
- very due to linguistic factors only

Sociolinguistic variable
* possibilistic alternation
* less predictable
* very primarily due to non-linguistic, social factors(e.g. age, gender, social class, context…….)

Question 9

Define “Free” varient

Answer 9

• varients alternate with each other without any reliable constraint
• meaning we cant predict when a speaker may use a variant or another

Question 10

What are the effect of social constraints in “Free” variation

Answer 10

seldom regular or categorical

Question 11

What wont “free” variation determine

Answer 11

where we are going to encounter one linguistic form instead of another all the time

Question 12

What can “ free” variation determine

Answer 12

how likely we are to encounter differnet linguistic forms in different context with different speakers

Question 13

which feature do we want ot measure in sociolinguistics?
dependent or independent variable

Answer 13

dependent variable

Question 14

Why is dependent variable called dependent variable?

Answer 14

the value of dependent variable depends on independent variable.

Question 15

Name examples where a depndent variable can correlate with independent

Answer 15

• social variable(e.g.social class, gender, ethnicity)
• Stylistic variable(e.g. casual, formal)
• Linguistic variable(e.g. phonological, morphosyntactic environment)

Question 16

How to design a socialinguistic studies on variation?

Answer 16

1. Collect balanced people from all walks of life
2. Different activities

Question 17

Name what can we consider when we are collecting a balance sample

Answer 17

Occupation
Descent patterns
Age groups

Question 18

What are the different activities when designing sociolinguistic studies on variation?

Answer 18

Reading tasks
* word lists
* minimal pairs
* short narrrative
Natural interaction
Sociolinguistic interview

Question 19

What is a sociolinguistic interview?

Answer 19

a tool for recording conversations in sociolinguistic variation
records naturally occuring speech

Question 20

what is an “ideal structure” for sociolinguistic interview?

Answer 20

1. start with questions on demography, community, neighbourhood
2. more personal topics