Unit 2 Flashcards
Language and Ethnicity
Accent
a distinct form of pronunciation that is common to a multiple different groups.
(local, social, ethnic, national)
*Everyone speaks with an accent
Dialect
Consists of an accent, along with specific words and phrases that is unique to that social or geographical group
- Regional dialects exist everywhere
Code switching
Changing your style of speech depending on the setting you’re in
What are the 2 basic accents?
Domestic: Varieties of a language spoken by citizens within a particular country
Foreign: Distinct patterns of speech that arise when speakers of a certain language speaks a non-native language
Phenomes
Smallest units of independent sounds within a language
Ex: “a” “oo” “ight” “ow”
Morphemes
Smallest units within a language that have an independent, symbolic meaning
(prefixes, sufixes, and words)
Syntax
The grammatical ordering/arrangement of words into phrases, sentences, and questions
Lexicon
The entire vocabulary of a language
What are the 4 major dimensions of language
Speaking, Comprehension, Reading, Writing
Linguistics Competence
A person’s degree of ability to speak and comprehend a particular language
*is like a range or continuum
Semi Speaker
A person that has a limited comprehension of a particular language(s)
*in the past there was an “all-or-nothing” approach to language comprehension
Prescriptive Approach
Attempts to regulate language by codifying and enforcing rules that dictate usage
*mostly found in classes ex; English/Spanish
Descriptive Approach
Regards language as a living evolving entity; studies languages as it is actually spoken/used by people in their natural, everyday life
*takes account accents, dialects, slang, etc.
Sociolinguistics
the study of speech within it’s social context
Authenticity
Arbitrary, social criteria that are subjectively used to judge wither a person is a “true” member of a particular racial, ethnic, or cultural group
*race and ethnicity is subjective!! Therefore the meanings are subjective
Linguistic Profiling
Drawing a conclusion of a person’s, character, ethnicity, intelligence, and personality based on how they sound
Heritage language
a minority language that one has acquired, or attempting to learn, on the basis of their particular ethnic/cultural identity (or desire to learn)
Languages are….
Fluid and dynamic; they evolve over time
Daughter languages
languages that have all grown out of it’s parent languages
Proto (Parent) language
The parent languages, or “mother togue”, that has given birth to new languages overtime
Profanity
you know… big bad words that have origins from old languages
Does the amount of profanity vairy from language to language?
Yes! Some languages can have much more or almost no profanities.
Does words that are considered profane change over time?
Yes
