Theories Flashcards
Giles’ Accommodation Theory
Where we adjust speech patterns depending on whom we are speaking to
Convergence
Where our speech movers CLOSER to that of another person
Divergence
Where our speech moves FURTHER apart from another person
Downward Convergence
Involves adjustments in the direction of the speech norms from HIGHER TO LOWER CLASS
Upward Convergence
Changes speech norms from LOWER TO HIGHER CLASS
Mutual convergence
Where both parties adjust speech patterns to each other’s
Fairclough’s Theory
Many social situations are shaped by power dynamics
(Eg. Teacher + student interactions)
Synthetic Personalisation
*inclusive language ‘we’ and ‘you’
“A tendency to give the impression of treating each of the people handled in masses as an individual”
Informalisation
Over time language has become more informal and personal
*this could be a marketing strategy
Power
In most conversations there is a power struggle/ imbalance
Trudgill and Lakoff’s Prestige Theory
Women tend to use overt prestige
Men tend to use covert prestige
OUTDATED THEORY
—> Informality is about CONTEXT not gender
Barthes’ codes
Hermeneutic/ Enigma code
Proairetic/ Action code
Semantic code
Symbolic code
Cultural code
Hermeneutic Code
The code that creates mystery
Proairetic Code
The code that creates action + suspense
Semantic Code
The code that carries connotations
(eg. If you use ‘white’ imagery to connote innocence)
