Sociolinguistics

Question 1

AA(V)E

Answer 1

African American (Vernacular) English - a variety of English, considered inferior by some, but famously contradicted by Labov’s 1969 articles that focused on the use of the copular “be” (Leap & Mesthrie, 2000). The Ann Arbor Case (1979) parents sued the school district because the students were not given opportunities to address the sociocultural factors limiting them in school (i.e. language). Judge said that the home language should not be a barrier, but it becomes one when teacher do not take it into account when teach standard variety. Leap and Mestrhie (2000) also address the 1996 Oakland school districts attempt propose a program of English-bilingual education in AAVE. However, neither of these cases resulted in drastic social change. Rickford (1996, in McKay & Hornberger, 1996 p. 184) says that teachers should increase awareness and sensitivity to this social variation. Sociolinguistics - Fall 2009 W2S11 - Hult

Question 2

Additive language learning/teaching

Answer 2

Adding a second socially relevant language without losing fluency and skills in the L1 (Lambert, 1972)

Question 3

BICS

Answer 3

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (Cummins, 1981)

Question 4

Biliteracy

Answer 4

Instances when communication occurs in two or more languages in and around writing, (Hornberger and McKay, 1996). Biliteracy is the ultimate combination of the L1 and L2. The L1 should be seen as a resource (Gumperz, 2005).

Question 5

CALP

Answer 5

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (Cummins, 1981)

Question 6

Communicative Competence

Answer 6

(Hymes, 1966) What a speaker needs to know in order to communicate appropriately within a speech community.

1. Grammatical/Linguistic (Chomsky)
2. Sociocultural/Pragmatic (Gumperz)
3. Discourse
4. Strategic. (Canale & Swain , 1980).

Question 7

Communicative Language Teaching

Answer 7

Goal of CLT is communicative competence (R&R p.159). Theory of Language is

1. that language is a system for expression and meaning,
2. primary function is interaction and communication,
3. structure of language reflect its functional and communicative uses,
4. units of language are not just grammatical, but function and communicative

Also see Brown’s 12 Principles of CLT.

Question 8

EFL

Answer 8

English as a Foreign Language -when English is taught in a country in which the L1 is NOT English.

Question 9

EIL

Answer 9

English as an International Language - English used as common language between people with different L1s.

Question 10

ESL

Answer 10

English as a Second Language - when English is taught in a country in which the L1 IS English.

Question 11

Ethnographic Microanalysis

Answer 11

Immediate ecology and micropolitics of social relation between people in face-to-face interaction. Done through context analysis (examining verbal and nonverbal communication in interaction) and conversation analysis (analyzing the moment-by-moment sense-making during conversation) (Erikson, 1996, p. 283-285 in McKay & Hornberger).

Question 12

Ethnography of Communication

Answer 12

Provides a framework for collection and analysis of descriptive data about the ways in which social meaning is conveyed, constructed, and negotiated. Looks at the relationship of language form and use to patterns and functions of communication, to world view and social organization, and linguisic and social universals/inequalities (Saville-Troike, 1996)

Question 13

Funds of Knowledge

Answer 13

(Moll, 1992) The social, historical, and intellectual knowledge, skills, practices, and strategies that exist in and are integral to a household or community. Moll describes how classrooms typically seem isolated, while at home there are family members or community members readily available to meet the needs of an individual. He also describes how students in the classroom are passive bystanders, but at home are active participants. Moll claims that accessing “funds of knowledge” are positive and realistic and have ample cultural and cognitive resources for utilization in the classroom. FoK allows the teacher to see the students as a whole person, not just a “deficient” student. He also claims that the process of assessing and analyzing Fok is feasible and useful for teachers (Moll, 2001).

Question 14

Goals of language planning

Answer 14

1. Language shift policy
2. Language maintenance policy
3. Language enrichment policy

(Wiley, 1996)

Question 15

Heritage Language

Answer 15

Heritage language refers to a language with which individuals have a personal connection. It is the historical and personal connection to the language that is salient and not the actual proficiency of individual speakers. (Valdes, 2000).

Question 16

Language Attitude

Answer 16

Attitude is the underlying predisposition to act or evaluate behavior in a certain way (McGroarty, 1996). Language attitude is a part of one’s language identity. Teachers need to be aware of their own language attitudes and demonstrate more language awareness. Language attitude is considered to be a language learning outcome factor.

Question 17

Language ecology/ecology of languages

Answer 17

The approach that takes into account not only the social context in which language is embedded, but also the ecological context. English is perhaps seen as a threat to the diversity of the language ecological systems. Language ecology can deal with language learning issues by incorporating research methods from other disciplines to shed light on the different aspects of the issue to come up with a pedagogical solution. (Spolsky, 1978 and Halliday, 2007)

Question 18

Language ideology

Answer 18

A dynamic process of creating the patterns of meaning or common sense assumptions that guide people’s behavior within a particular society. Ideology (cultural beliefs) are closely tied to power. (Freeman & McElhinny, 1996)

Question 19

Language maintenance

Answer 19

Continuing use of one’s L1 in a multilingual community or society.

Question 20

Language of Wider Communication (LWC)

Answer 20

The language(s) people use to communicate across cultures and languages in international and trade situations.

Question 21

Language Policy & Planning

Answer 21

The formation and implementation of a policy designed to prescribe or influence the languages and varieties of language that will be used and the purposes for which they will be used. Types of language planning include

• Corpus planning - coining new terms, script, forms alternations.
• Status planning - designation of the where the languages will be used (domain), and
• language acquisition planning - how will new speakers learn the language, often seen as limited

(Wiley, 1996, 107-108, in M&H).

Question 22

Language shift

Answer 22

When the functions of one code have been taken over by another, usually takes 3 generations (Wiley, 1996).

Question 23

Language socialization

Answer 23

The process through which people gain communicative competence (into). Also how people interacted to acquire the knowledge to be a part of a community (through) (Garrett & Baquedano-Lopez, 2002). Language socialization is rarely a neutral process and often reinforces boundaries of social categories.

Question 24

Language-as-problem

Answer 24

The concept of using language to solve communication problems may (intentionally or unintentionally) impose social control (Ruiz, 1984).

Question 25

Language-as-resource

Answer 25

Cognitive, social, academic benefits of additive biliteracy/bilingualism. A balance between language-as-problem and language-as-right(Ruiz, 1984). An orientation to developing language policy.

Question 26

Language-as-right

Answer 26

Freedom from discrimination based on language and the freedom to use one’s language in communal activities. (Macias, 1979.)

Question 27

Lingua franca

Answer 27

A common language used by speakers of different languages (Saville-Troike, 1996).

Question 28

Linguicism

Answer 28

A prejudice or judgement based on one’s use of language (Phillipson, 1992).

Question 29

Linguistic genocide

Answer 29

The intentional or unintentional eradication of a particular language and possibly culture (Skutnabb-Kangas, 2000). Sociolinguistics - Fall 2010 W10S11 - Hult

Question 30

Linguistic Human Rights

Answer 30

Language + human rights. Ability to access one’s needs in the mother tongue. It can also include the right to a bilingual education–instruction in official language and development of L1. 2003 UNESCO Guidelines on Language and Education 1. Supports mother tongue instruction as a means of improving and educational quality by building on the knowledge and experience of learners and teachers. 2. Supports bilingual/multilingual education at all levels of education as a means of promoting social equality. 3. Supports language as an essential component of inter-cultural education in order to encourage understanding between different populations.

Question 31

Linguistic imperialism

Answer 31

The spread of one language for political and economic purpose poses a major threat to other languages. A tool for maintaining the hegemony and ideology. Typically discussed with English as the imperial language. (Phillipson, 1992 in Pennycook, 2001).

Question 32

Literacy event

Answer 32

Any occasion in which a piece of writing is integral to the nature of participants’ interactions and their interpretive processes (Heath, 1982).

Question 33

Mother tongue

Answer 33

The language spoken by one’s primary caregiver.

Question 34

Multiliteracies

Answer 34

Any and all instances in which communication occurs in three or more languages in and around writing (Hornberger, 1996).

Question 35

Subtractive language learning/teaching

Answer 35

Learning of socially dominant language leads to lost of skills (or complete loss) of L1 (Leap & Mesthrie, 2000). Cummins (Interdependence Hypothesis) argues that studies that highlight the negative effects (loss of L1) of bilingual education were often conducted in subtractive bilingualism settings. Skills must be developed in the L1 for success in the acquisition of the L2 and education in general (Leap and Mestrhie, 2000, p. 373). Sociolinguistics - Fall 2009 W2S11 - Hult

Question 36

World Englishes

Answer 36

Varieties and dialects of English that different speakers around the world speak. Inner circle (English dominant, norm-producing), outer circle (former colonies), expanding circle (English is a prominent language, norm-developing) (Kachru and Nelson, 1996 in M&H). There are more ELLs speaking English than native speakers. To discuss language at the global level, one must let go of the concept ownership of language (In the case of English, one must consider whether or not learners want to emulate the inner circle (p. 80).

Question 37

communicative competence

Answer 37

(Hymes, 1966, 1974, 1987) communicative competence is defiend broadly as what a speaker needs to know to communicate appropriately within a particular speech community. A critical observation of Hymes was that speakers who could produce any and all of the grammatcial sentences of a language (per Chomsky’s 1965 definition of lignuistic competence) would be institutuionalized if they indiscriminately went about trying to do so without consideration of the appropriate contextsof use.(p. 362, Sociolintuistics and Learning Teaching).