Language in social context revised 2012
- 1. Language in social context
- 2. Speech Community • Members share a particular language (or a variety of language) for the appropriate use of their language in social context and that these speakers be distinguished from other comparable groups by similar sociolinguistic criteria. (Katamba and Southerland n.d.)
- 3. Speech Community • Shared language use (Lyons 1970) • Frequency of interaction by a group of people (Bloomfield 1933; Hockett 1958; Gumperz 1962) • Shared rules of speaking and interpretations of speech performance (Hymes 1972) • Shared attitudes and values regarding language forms and language use (Labov 1972)
- 4. Speech Variety -label given to that language (or form of language) used by any group of speakers. Four types of Speech varieties: Standard language Social Dialect / Sociolect Regional Varieties Registers
- 5. STANDARD LANGUAGE • variety that is selected and promoted by either authorities or other social institutions, such as schools or media. Standard varieties are more prestigious than other. • Employed by the government and media, used and taught in education institutions
- 6. SOCIAL DIALECT / SOCIOLECT • dialect has to do with separation brought about by different social conditions. • the way we speak that is individual to a social group. It may have features that cross the linguistic methods e.g. lexical choice, grammar, phonology (pronunciation). Most people use several different sociolects e.g. occupational groups, friendship groups, family groups, cultural groups etc.
- 7. REGIONAL VARIETY • speech characteristic of a region • a variety of a language spoken in a particular area of a country. • is the distinct form of a language spoken in a certain geographical area.
- 8. REGISTER • a variety of language defined according to its use in a social situation. • functional speech variety • associated with specific contexts or situations and with specific functions of language (Zwicky, A 1982)
- 9. TYPES • Formal –One way communications with no interruption –Used in impersonal , formal settings –Follows a complete format (i.e. compete sentences, more complex syntax & specific word usages) –Often used to show respect
- 10. • Casual –Informal language, ellipsis and slangs are common –no background information –“group” language –Interruptions are common
- 11. • Technical –Specialized variety of language used in specialized situations –“jargons” –E.g. airline pilots use to communicate with air traffic controllers • Simplified –Motherese –Baby talk
- 12. Social Differentiation of Language -refers to correlation between variation in language uses and a speaker’s membership in various social group. Social Stratification Correlation of differences in how people speak with their membership in various social groups Social Correlate: SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS (SES) Vertical Variation SES is equated with the level of language use.
- 13. Studying Social Variation Social Network Analysis – Provides a methodology for studying the interaction between patterns of maintenance and patterns of change. – Basic Assumption : to understand how language changes are adopted by communities, we must also take account of patterns of resistance to change.
- 14. Social network • sample C:UserssweetDocumentsSOCIAL NETWORK SAMPLE