超全sociolinguistics

Chapter 8: Sociolinguistics

Learning objectives

?

I. Sociolinguistics

?

II. Language variation

?

III. Language and gender

?

IV

. Language and class

?

?

Throughout

the

20th

century,

a

great

deal

of

efforts

has

been

taken

to

treat

the

inquiry

of

linguistics

as

a

Monistic

or

Autonomous

Pursuit

of

an

independent

science.

?

The

resurrection

of

a

Dualistic

View

of

linguistic

inquiry,

came

into

being

in

the

1960s,

along

with

the

development

of

sociolinguistics

as

an

opposition

to

the

dominant theory of Chomskyan linguistics.

I. Sociolinguistics

?

Sociolinguistics is the sub-field of linguistics that studies the relation

?

between language and society,

?

between the uses of language and the social structures in which the language

users live

Two perspectives

?

Micro-studies:

?

To look at society from the point of view of an individual member within it,

or a worm

’

s-eye view of language in use.

?

Macro- studies:

?

To look at society as a whole and consider how language functions in it and

how it reflects the social differentiations, a bird

’

s eye view of the language

used in society.

?

Sociolinguistics is interested in how social

factors influence the structure and use of

language.

?

Potential influencing social factors?

?

class,

gender,

age,

ethnic

group,

educational

background,

occupation,

religion, etc.

?

Comment on: You are what you say. (Lakoff 1991).

?

II. Language varieties

?

The key issue in sociolinguistics study is variation.

?

1. Standard language

?

2. Dialect

?

3. Register

?

4. Pidgin and Creole

?

5. Lingua Franca

?

6. Slang, jargon, and argot

1. Standard language

?

George Bernard Shaw,

Pygmalion

?

A particular variety of a language is better than any other.

?

This

dominant,

or

prestigious

variety

is

often

called

standard

variety

or

standard language/dialect

?

Quote: A language is a dialect with an army and navy.

?

Question: what is the definition of the standard language in China?

?

普通话的定义：

?

以北京语音为标准音

,

以北方话为基础方言

,

以典范的现代 白话文著作为语

法规范的现代汉民族共同语。

Where do we find a standard language?

?

A standard language is generally used in

?

government documents

?

in the news media and in literature

?

described in dictionaries and grammars

?

taught in schools

?

taught

to

non-native

speakers

when

they

learn

the

language

as

a

foreign

language

?

This status is usually codified in the constitution.

2. Dialects

?

A variety of a language used recognizably in a specific region or by a specific social

class is called a dialect.

?

Regional dialect

?

Temporal dialect

?

Social dialect

?

Idiolect

?

Regional/Geographical dialect

?

Variety of language spoken in a geographical area, such as Cockney dialect,

North Midland dialect, and Cantonese

?

Temporal dialect

?

Variety

of

a

language

used

at

a

particular

stages

in

its

historical

development

?

E.g. classical Chinese vs. modern Chinese

?

Question: what are the temporal dialects in English?

Social dialect/sociolect

?

Variety of a language used by people belonging to particular social classes.

?

Higher sociolect vs. lower sociolect

?

E.g. He and I were going there.

?

E.g. He

’

n me was goin

’

there.

Idiolect

?

Variety

of

a

language

used

by

individual

speakers,

with

peculiarities

of

pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

?

Comment: No two speakers speak exactly the same language.

?

E.g. Hemingway

’

s language, Faulkner

’

s language, Frost

’

s language, and

Luxun

’

s language.

3. Register

?

People speak differently with friends, on a job interview, or during presentation in

class.

?

The linguistic varieties according to use are called registers.

?

Differences in vocabulary, phonology, grammar and semantics.

Martin Joos: Degree of formality

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

Visitors would make their way

at once to the upper floor by way of the staircase.

?

(frozen)

Visitors should go up the stairs at once.

?

(formal)

Would you mind going upstairs please?

?

(consultative)

Time you all went upstairs now.

?

(casual)

Up you go, Chaps!

?

(intimate)

Halliday: Register

?

Language varies as its function varies; it differs in different situations.

?

The type of language which is selected as appropriate to the type of situation

is a register.

Field of discourse:

?

what is going on, purpose and subject- matter of communication, why, what

?

Technical vs. non-technical

Tenor of discourse:

?

the role of relationship in the situation, who, to whom

?

The level of formality