Study of Language 19 Social Variation

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Study of Language week 6

Chapter 19 Social Variation

But first...revision ch. 18

What is/are the difference(s) between an accent and a dialect?

Give an example of a lexical difference between AmE and BrE

A large number of isoglosses together would constitute a ....

1. dialect continuum
2. language
3. dialect boundary
4. twicogloss

Canada is a country in which people can officially use English or French. In such a country there is a situation of

1. bidialectalism
2. bilingualism
3. language continuum
4. diglossia

In countries in which many different languages are spoken, often one official language is chosen. This is done by..

1. government
2. legal organizations
3. educational organizations
4. all of the above

Chapter 19 Social Variation

Learning aims:

You should be able to answer the following questions

• Which social classes can we distinguish?
• How is social class reflected in someone's language?
  
• What are social markers? (examples?)
  
• Why would people (not) adapt their language?
  
• How can people try to adapt their language?
• What are some characteristics of an example of a social variety: AAVE

 

Terminology for sociolinguistics

research done in towns and cities

working / middle class speakers

sociolect / ideolect 

speech community

education & occupation

social markers

pronunciation / grammar / (word choice)

speech style & style shifting

(casual - careful)

prestige: overt / covert

(hypercorrection)

speech accommodation:

convergent & divergent

(attention to listener)

register: jargon

slang & taboo

African American English

Vernacular

There were many social markers in the clip.
What is NOT an example of a social marker for (lower) working class?

1. I ain't bovvered
2. I am 'ungry
3. I am having breakfast
4. I am workin'

Pronouncing the postvocalic /r/ is a social marker for being more upper class in which city?

1. New York
2. Reading

I've been workin' all week

I've been playing cricket

That ain't right

That is not right.

What do we have for afters?

What is for dessert?

When certain individuals change their speech in the direction of a form that is more frequent in the speech of those perceived to have higher social status, we are dealing with ...

1. covert prestige
2. register
3. jargon
4. overt prestige

Follow-up question: what does covert prestige mean?

which social class is most susceptible to adapting their speech?
(style shifting)

1. working class
2. lower middle class
3. middle middle class
4. upper middle class

Our ability to modify our speech style toward or away from the perceived style of the person(s) we are talking to, is called speech ...

What type of speech accommodation is used when speaking to the teacher?
(to friend) "I gotta take a leak mate!"
(to teacher) "Can I go to the bathroom, please?"

1. convergence
2. register
3. jargon
4. divergence

Follow-up question: what would an example of covert prestige look like? 

Drag and drop and think about what these have to do with social variation 

Jargon

Slang

Taboo

Euphemism

Can you give an example of slang
used at the moment
(by your learners or children)

African American English is considered a social dialect. It is also known as Black English, Ebonics or AAVE.
The V in AAVE stands for ...

1. African American VERSION OF English
2. African American VERNACULAR English
3. African American VARIATION ON English
4. African American VARIETY English

Follow-up question: what does vernacular mean and why is this applicable to AAVE?

Any non-standard spoken version of a language used by a lower-status group.

Watch about 4 minutes. Many examples of specific lexical and grammatical items. Also use of slang and other social markers.

AAVE = 'sloppy' English?

• AAVE follows clear rules 

• Sounds: Left hand > lef han, this > dis

• Grammar (often seen as ‘illogical’, ‘sloppy’ or ‘bad’)
• he don’t know nothing 
• you crazy
• two guy
• my sister work / he don’t care 

Would this be used in AAVE?

Yes

No

I ain't afraid of no ghost!

He be working

Cleo's friend was there too

He skinny, bu' he don't care

He has been playing basketball

Learning aims:

Are you able to answer the following questions?

• Which social classes can we distinguish?
  
• How is social class reflected in someone's language?
  
• What are social markers? (examples?)
  
• Why would people (not) adapt their language?
  
• How can people try to adapt their language?
  
• What are some characteristics of an example of a social variety: AAVE

 

Final lesson next week: 

• At home: study your two choice chapters.
• In class: we will share and discuss some of your findings.
• At home: test yourselves on Linguistics course.

Preview period 4:

 

Assignment A

You design a lesson for secondary school pupils about a linguistic topic, to promote linguisic awareness

e.g.

Development of the English language

British English vs American English

Shakespeare’s influence on the language

Use of emoijis

etc….

Assignment B

You write a report on your own teaching practice based on the theory of second language acquisition

e.g

What kind of feedback do I normally give, and is this effective?

What kind of questions do I pose and what is the effect?

Which aspects from first language acquisition do I“use” in Second Language Learning?