Sociolect Flashcards
What is Facework according to Goffman?
The linguistic endeavour to present ourselves favourably, achieving the required level of perceived social status.
What does ‘Face’ refer to?
The social value a person claims for her/himself in an interpersonal contact, as in ‘to save face’.
What is a ‘Line’ in communication?
The pattern of verbal and nonverbal acts by which speakers express themselves.
What is ‘Footing’ in a conversation?
A speaker’s ‘stance’ towards another participant in a conversation; judgements of social status.
What is a Face Threatening Act (FTA)?
Communicative acts impinging on a hearer’s need to be respected and to maintain self-esteem and status.
What is Positive face?
Our need to be liked and accepted; we try to satisfy the positive face wants of others by expressing admiration or approval and showing respect.
What is Negative face?
Our right not to be imposed on or interrupted; we attempt to satisfy the negative face wants of others strategically, perhaps through use of mitigation.
What is Repair to face?
Facework done after receiving an FTA; adjusting line in order to regain social status.
What is Politeness Theory?
Strategies developed in order to save the hearer’s ‘face’; we usually want to socially accept our audience, making them feel valued, avoiding their embarrassment.
What does ‘Bald on record’ mean?
A strategy involving no effort by the speaker to reduce the impact of FTAs.
What is Positive politeness?
Strategies to minimize the social distance between speaker and audience.
What is Negative politeness?
Strategies to minimise the effects of unavoidable FTAs; may involve mitigation.
What does ‘Off record’ (indirect) mean?
A strategy to remove the audience from a position where they would suffer FTAs by not targeting them directly.
What is Accommodation Theory?
Proposes speakers adjust speech to accommodate (suit) the other participants in the conversation; communication must be two-way with audience language heard/read.
What is Upwards convergence?
When a speaker of lower status attempts to converge towards the language characteristics of a higher status speaker.
What is Downwards convergence?
When a speaker adopts the language characteristics of a person she/he is addressing, who has a perceived lower social status.
What is Mutual convergence?
When both speakers converge to linguistically ‘meet in the middle’.
