Language and social variation

1. Language and social variation Chapter 19

2. Sociolinguistics • The way one speaks provides clues not only to a person’s regional background but also to his social one, e.g. his/her education and economic status. • Speech is a form of social identity. • Language indicates the membership of different social group- speech community. • Speech community • A group of people= share a set of norms, rules, and expectation about language use.

3. Sociolinguistics • The relationship between language and the society. • Linguistics + anthropology • Language and culture • Linguistics + sociology • The role language plays in the organization of social groups • Linguistics + social psychology • In-group and out-group behaviors

4. Social dialects • How the linguistic variables (words- pronunciation) differ between groups separated by certain social variables, e.g., ethnicity, economic status, gender, level of education, etc. • Social class defines a group of people as having something in common • Middle class • High middle class • Lower-middle class • Working class • Usage varies among social classes, and it is these sociolects that sociolinguistics studies

5. Social dialects • Accent may indicate social status • In Edinburgh • Lower-working class people pronounce ‘home’ as ‘he:m’ • Lower-middle class people pronounce it as ‘ho:m” • Structure may also indicate social status • Ain’t as ‘I ain’t finishes yet’ is used more by working class people than by middle class

6. Education and occupation • Each of us has her own idiolect (personal dialect) but we sound more like those who share similar educational background • People who went to college speak different than those who didn’t • e.g. them boys throwed somethin’ • Education is reflected in occupation • Doctors don’t speak like those who clean windows • University professors, bank executives all speak different than those who work in local jobs

7. Education and occupation • Labov (1966) • Linguistic variable is the pronunciation differences [r] after vowels and the social variables are place of occupation + socio-economic status • He looked at three New York department stores, one with upper-middle-class status, and one with middle-class status and another with working-class status. • He asked ‘Where are the women’s shoes’? • The higher the socio-economic the more [r] is pronounced.

8. Education and occupation • Trudgill (1974) in Reading, England • Linguistic variable [r] and social variable is the social class • It has an opposite social value than in New York. • Upper class pronounce the [r] fewer than lower classes • Oh, that’s mahvellous, dahling!

9. Social markers • The significance of the linguistic variable [r] can be the opposite in terms of social status in two different- it functions as a social marker • Having the feature marks you as a member of a particular group

10. Social markers • Another social markers is the final pronunciation of [ŋ]as [n] as a marker of less education and lower social status • e.g. drinkin’ , sittin’ , playin’ • The dropping of initial ‘h’ is associated with less education and lower social status • E.g I’m so ‘ungry I could eat an ‘orse

11. Speech style and style-shifting • Speech style= a way of speaking that is either formal/careful or informal/casual • A change from one to another is called ‘style-shifting’ • Middle-class people are more likely to shift styles (Labov, 1966) • They sense that the a certain linguistic feature may be ‘better’ in terms of social status

12. Prestige • Aprestigedialect is the dialect spoken by the most prestigious people in a speech community • Overt prestige- status that is generally recognized as ‘better’ or more positively valued in the community • Covert prestige- the status of a feature as having positive but ‘hidden’ value or not valued as such among the larger community

13. Speech accommodation • Speech accommodation-our ability to modify our speech toward or away from the perceived style of the person we’re talking to. • Convergence-reduced social distance • C’mon Tony, gizzalook, gizzalook • Excuse me, Could I have a look at your photo too Mrs. Hall? (Holmes, 1992) • Divergence-emphasizes social distance • TEEN: I can’t do it, sir. • TEACHER: oh, come on. If I can do it, you can. • TEEN: Look, I cannae dae it so..

14. Register • A variety that is appropriate in a specific context • Situational (e.g. in church) • Occupational (e.g. among lawyers) • Topical (e.g. talking about languages) • The morphology of this dialect contains fewer inflectional suffixes • Linguistic register- the use of special jargon

15. Jargon • The defining feature of register is the use of jargon. • Technical vocabulary associated with special activity or group • Doctors • Linguists (e.g. suffix, inflection) • Computer specialists • ‘Insider’ vs. ‘outsider’

16. Slang • Words or phrases used instead of everyday speech by those who are outside higher-status groups • E.g. ‘buck’ (dollar) • It is used as a marker of social group especially among young people. • Slang expressions can ‘grow old’ quickly. • Taboo terms- words and phrases that people avoid- religious, politeness, or prohibited behavior • Swear words

17. Social barrier • A phenomenon such as discrimination and segregation that separates social groups and creates marked differences in social dialects. • African American English (AAE) • Often labeled as ‘bad language’ • Has covert prestige

18. Vernacular language • African American Vernacular English (AAVE) • Vernacular- social dialect spoken by a lower-status social group • Sounds • Reduce final consonant cluster • Left hand –‘lef han’ • Dental consonants are pronounced as alveolar stops • ‘think, that’–‘tink, dat’

19. AAVE • Morphology • Dropping of possessive ‘s and third person singular • Dropping of the plural ‘s • Two guy – one of my friend • Grammar • Double negative • He don’t know nothing • I ain’t afraid of no ghosts • Absence of verb to be • You crazy • She workin’ now