Week 9 Flashcards
1
Q
Defining Sociolinguistics:
A
- Concerned with the influence of society on language
- Interested in the influence of social norms on language use, including norms relating to culture, location, class, gender, age etc.
Allows us to gain insight into why language variers across users, in spite of semantic, morphological, phonological, syntactic and pragmatic rules
- Interested in the influence of social norms on language use, including norms relating to culture, location, class, gender, age etc.
2
Q
Language variation: What do we mean?
A
Language variation refers to the personal and group=based idiosyncrasies in language use that are socially meaningful in terms of their affects on the behavior of individuals and groups
3
Q
Why do SP need this knowledge:
A
- An understanding of language variability is critical because it suggests that language has an influence on human behavior
It allows us to reflect on the influence of language on society and power structures
4
Q
What is a dialect?
A
- A regional variant of the same language
- Variation may be characterized by differences of vocabulary, grammar, idioms and pronunciation
- Major languages such as English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Mandarin each have their own dialects
Once dialectic difference becomes unintelligible, it is considered a new language
5
Q
English as a dialect:
English has many dialects:
A
- English is made up of a number of different dialects including Australian, English, British English, New Zealand English etc.
- In fact English begun as a regional dialect
- Standard English emerged in 15th century Britain
- In modern Britain dialectical differences of English still remain
- Social and geographical mobility of the modern world has seen the decline of some dialects as well as the formations of new dialects
6
Q
National varieties:
A
- Dialects of English have emerged on national scales: Australian English, British English, New Zealand English, American English, Singaporean English, Kenyan English etc.
Variation (dialectical differences) based on vocabulary and pronunciation (less so on grammar)
7
Q
Australian English:
A
- Australian speakers are reconcilable by idiosyncratic pronunciation (accent) and vocabulary as such, we speak Australian English - a national dialect of English
- In addition to Australian English, we have over 300 languages other languages spoken in Australia are more than 60,000 people speak indigenous languages
- Within Australia there are at least 3 major variants (sub-dialects): Standard Australian English, varieties of Aboriginal English and various ethnocultural Australian English dialects
There are many different legitimate ways of speaking English in Australia
8
Q
What is accent?
A
- The term used to describe the characteristics pronunciation that people use when they speak
- Everybody has an accent, resulting from contact with different people at different times in our lives
- Typically associated with geographical region, culture, ethnicity, social class
- Accents change most during the pre-adolescent and adolescent years
- Language variance usually enter a language through the speech of teenagers or pre-teens who desire to express their identity independent of the previous generation (e.g. the beginning of dialect)
- Accents hold information about us (whether accurate or not): Class, cultural background, regional upbringing etc. As such accents are tied to our identity
9
Q
Language variation:
Social class:
A
- Social class often based on birth, wealth and education
- Through the rise of democracy and the project of modernization has reduced some of the influence of class distinctions differences still persist
- Notion of a standard form of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar leads to language being a vehicle for bias, stereotyping and stigma
- In this way, language can be a source of social injustice
Deviations from the standard English dialects are usually looked upon in unfavorable ways
10
Q
Aboriginal English’s and African American Vernacular English’s:
A
- African American vernacular English or AAV and Aboriginal English(es) are variants of Standard American English and Standard Australian English
- Both differ from standard English through vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation
- However, each have their own consistent grammatical and linguistic systems
e.g. she be working: Consistent with the linguistic rules of Aboriginal English and AAV
11
Q
Language and gender:
A
- Language use differs based on gendered differences
- In English-speaking cultures, differences tend to be based on social norms (intonation, vocabulary, discourse)
- In other languages, gender-based differences are more formal (phonological differences)
- Such gender-based differences are argued to perpetuate the inferior role of women in society. Language can therefore be seen as a site of politics and activism
12
Q
Language and age
A
- Language differences based on age
- Vocabulary choice, expressions and sayings and pronunciation undergo constant change. Older generations use different language features to younger generations
Youth is often characterized by a colloquial speaking style particularly to a time referred to as teen speak
- Vocabulary choice, expressions and sayings and pronunciation undergo constant change. Older generations use different language features to younger generations
13
Q
Language styles:
A
- Language varies not only across individuals based on social class, gender and age but also within individuals
- People use different language styles across different situations and contexts - the ability to do so is an essential component of communication competence
- Language register: The different styles of speaking based on the context of the activity and situation
- Colloquial language: Refers to informal register
- Different activities have their own associated language registers (e.g. particular vocabulary)
Some languages have a high and low form of language
14
Q
Language and identity:
A
- Language plays an important role in self-identity and social identity
- We use particular language styles to identify ourselves as belonging to certain ‘in-groups’
- In doing so, we also separate ourself from out-groups
- Australian slang is an example of the way language has helped shape and maintain a national sense of identity
This has also served to construct an otherness between those who don’t use/understand the Australian slang style
15
Q
What is regionalism?
A
Political ideology that seeks to increase the political power, influence and self-determination of the people of one or more subnational regions
A feature that exists in a particular part of the country and is not part of the standard language
16
Q
What is register and code switching?
A
- Register: Adjusting depending on situation
- Code switching: Switching language
