Sociolinguistics

Question 1

Language variation

Answer 1

No language is homogenous
There are varieties of all languages

Question 2

4 types of variation

Answer 2

Geographical, temporal, social or situational

Question 3

Geographical variation

Answer 3

Compare English in Britain, Canada, USA, and Kenya.

Question 4

Temporal variation

Answer 4

Compare English in Old, Middle, and Modern day societies.

Question 5

Social variation

Answer 5

Compare AAEV, RP, Canadian standard, blue collar, upper class

Question 6

Situational variation

Answer 6

Compare registers of French: Parisian, Quebec, Chiac

Question 7

Standard language

Answer 7

An idealized variety with social prestige
Not tied to one specific region
Associated with administration, education, commercial centres, media
Codified (written down in grammar books, dictionaries, published)

Question 8

Accents

Answer 8

Particularities of pronunciation
Lead to identification of region of birth or residence, or social group
Known as regional dialects (Newfie English, Bostonian)

Refers to the particular pronunciation differences of non-native speakers: speaking English with a French accent

Question 9

Dialects

Answer 9

Mutually intelligible forms of a language that differ in systematic ways (features, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation differences)
One dialect is no better or worse than another.
Equally valid
Some dialects more socially acceptable, prestigious and validated than others

Question 10

What is language?

Answer 10

A code or system used by consensus and is collective.
French, English, Spanish, German

Question 11

Lingua francas

Answer 11

Languages spoken by a lot of people
Universally understood
Language of trade
Social or commercial communication
Broad base of speakers
English, Latin, Yiddish, Hindi, Swahili

Question 12

Pidgin

Answer 12

-Contact languages
-When you adapt your language to help someone with a different first language understand you better.
-Between speakers of two different languages
-No native speakers because own languages are spoken at home
-No complex grammar morphology
-Limited vocab
-Modified syntax
-The lexifier is the language which provides most of the words in the pidgin.
-Common in slave plantations, trade.
-Travellers’ pidgin.

Question 13

How are pidgins and creoles defined?

Answer 13

In their political and historical contexts of colonialism and slavery.
E.x. French in Haiti, English in Jamaica, Dutch in South Africa

Question 14

Creoles

Answer 14

When a pidgin is taught to the next generation as a mother tongue
Considered as languages
E.x. Hawaiian creole English, Tom Pisin
Become more complex, used and accepted over time.

Question 15

Creolization

Answer 15

The process by which pidgins become creoles.

Question 16

Decreolization

Answer 16

When a creole-speaking community chooses a more prestigious (H) language/variety and uses fewer creole forms and structures

Question 17

Bidialectal

Answer 17

Speaking two dialects/registers (Chiac and standard French)

Question 18

Bilingual

Answer 18

Speaking two languages (French and Spanish)

Question 19

Individual bilingualism

Answer 19

A result of minority linguistic conditions (German family in America) and of exogamous family situations.

Question 20

Diglossia

Answer 20

The use by a whole community of different languages or distinct language varieties in different language situations.
2 tongues
The value of languages in particular contexts
Language variety as a social marker
E.x. French students at an English university

Question 21

When is a high variety (H) of language used?

Answer 21

In official or formal situations and religious contexts: sermons, speeches, news broadcasts

Question 22

When is a low variety (L) used?

Answer 22

Informal, everyday affairs: in the home, conversations, cartoons

Question 23

Borrowing

Answer 23

A source of language change (lexical) that involves adopting aspects of one language as elements of another.

Question 24

Code switching

Answer 24

The systematic alternation or movement between language systems in discourse
Bilinguals switch between their languages on the basis of topic/adressee
English with Josh, French with Rogosin

Question 25

Code mixing

Answer 25

Where bilingual speakers mix languages within a conversation or a single sentence
Marks ethnic and group boundaries

Question 26

How many codes can bilinguals access?

Answer 26

3
Language A: Standard French
Language B: Chiac
Language C: Intersection between the 2

Question 27

Is monolingualism the norm?

Answer 27

No

Question 28

Language planning

Answer 28

Government intervention in the protection ne validation of one or more languages/dialects
E.x. Senegal kept French after the French people left

Question 29

Linguistic insecurity

Answer 29

Real vs perceived pronunciation
Seeking the prestigious pronunciation because your way of speaking is not good enough

Question 30

Example 1 of linguistic insecurity

Answer 30

William Labov’s hypothesis: is there a correlation between the pronunciation of the words with the sound /r/ and New-Yorkers’ social classes?
Those in the upper class pronounce the final /r/ (car, fourth, card) while those in the lower class do not.
Employees of three New York department stores representatives of different socioeconomic levels.

Question 31

Example 2 of linguistic insecurity

Answer 31

Boudreau & Dubois à l’université de Moncton
-Hypothesis: There is a link between linguistic insecurity and the diglossic situation among youth in NB; feelings of linguistic insecurity are more pronounced in the south-east of the province than in the north-east where English is less predominant
Subjects from the SE feel inferior to French speakers from other francophone regions.
Subjects from the NE feel equal/better than other Francophones
SE adolescents are more affected by linguistic insecurity than NE adolescents.

Question 32

Effects of linguistic insecurity

Answer 32

False perceptions
Loss of confidence to speak
Hyper correction
Loss of desire to speak a language
Language transfer
Loss of identity
Effect on others

Question 33

Consequences of linguistic insecurity

Answer 33

Insecurity negatively affects oral and written performance, dampens motivation and learning
French is perceived as too difficult for us bad speakers
Affects linguistic competence of adults