7: Sociolinguistics- Language Variation and Change
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When you’ve completed this chapter, you’ll be able to
- Explain the difference between cross-linguistic and sociolinguistic variation.
- Define important concepts in sociolinguistics.
- Recognize linguistic variables in language data.
- Discuss some of the major findings of variationist sociolinguistics.
- Interpret basic patterns of quantitative sociolinguistic data from graphs.
This chapter explores sociolinguistic variation and how it has been analyzed. We’ll be introduced to the concept of the linguistic variation, we’ll see how to analyze data from a variationist sociolinguistic perspective, and we’ll survey some of the major social factors that correlate with sociolinguistic variation.
- 7.1: What is variationist sociolinguistics?
- The text explores variationist sociolinguistics, an approach that examines the relationship between language and its context of use. It discusses the use of terms like "eh" and "right" in Canadian English, differentiating dialects from languages based on intelligibility, not political boundaries. Misconceptions about dialects, such as viewing them as inferior or linked to accents, are refuted.
- 7.2: Language varies
- This page discusses language variation from a variationist sociolinguistics perspective, focusing on the concept of linguistic variables. It explains that both cross-linguistic and sociolinguistic variations exist, where different options (variants) express the same meaning across different languages, dialects, or contexts. Examples are given from Icelandic, Danish, Early Modern English, Auslan, NZSL, and ASL, demonstrating phonetic, syntactic, and morphosyntactic variations among others.
- 7.3: Language changes
- The page discusses language change and its significance in sociolinguistics. It describes how language evolves over time, with examples from English and Japanese, and details different types of language changes such as changes from above and below. It also explores methods for analyzing language change, including real-time and apparent-time analysis.
- 7.4: Sociolinguistic correlations - Place
- The text explores the diversity of English dialects, emphasizing how social, regional, and historical factors influence variations in pronunciation and language use. Examples include regional differences in Canadian, British, and American English, where specific linguistic features like "r-dropping" or usage of terms like "soda/pop" index particular social meanings and regional identities.
- 7.5: Appalachian American English (AE)
- The video script by Sarah Harmon explores Appalachian English (AE), a dialect from the Appalachian Mountains encompassing regions like Tennessee, Kentucky, and parts of the Carolinas. Despite misconceptions, AE is a well-studied, unique dialect in the U.S., retaining historical elements from its early English settlers.
- 7.6: African American English (AAE)
- The page discusses African American English Vernacular (AAE), also known as Ebonics, which gained attention during a controversial debate in the 1990s. This dialect possesses unique phonological, morphological, and syntactic features, such as monothongization, deletion of certain sounds, and innovations in verb usage, like the absence of a stative "be." AAE's roots can be traced back to African enslaved people incorporating elements from their native languages, making it rich and distinct.
- 7.7: Sociolinguistic correlations - Social status
- The page discusses the concept of social class and its intersection with linguistic variation. It describes how social class in Euro-American societies, including Canada, is often categorized into upper, middle, and lower classes based on wealth, power, and various socio-economic factors. The page explores how social class correlates with linguistic tendencies, referencing William Labov's 1966 study on English in Manhattan.
- 7.8: Gender and Class Dialects
- The text explores gender- and class-based dialects, focusing on differences in linguistic features between men and women, including phonological and morphological aspects in various languages such as Muskogeean and Traditional Japanese. It also discusses variations in class dialects, highlighting Cockney from East London as an example.
- 7.9: Prestige and Politics
- The page discusses the sociolinguistic concepts of prestige dialects and linguistic power dynamics. It explores how certain languages or dialects are deemed prestigious based on historical, cultural, and political factors, often reinforced by those in power. The text provides historical examples, such as language bans during the regimes of Franco in Spain and language policies during the French Revolution and the Soviet Union.
- 7.11: Languages in Contact
- The document discusses languages in contact and explores the dynamics of how languages interact and evolve when different speech communities come into contact due to factors like trade or colonization. It explains the processes of forming a lingua franca, pidgin, and creole, using historical examples. The debate about when a creole becomes a full-fledged language is addressed, with examples cited such as Hawaiian Creole and Haitian Creole.
- 7.12: Exercise Your Linguistics Skills
- This page contains four exercises related to linguistic analysis. Exercise 1 involves identifying linguistic variables in minimal pairs in New York City English. Exercise 2 focuses on identifying quotative verbs in reported speech throughout the chapter. Exercise 3 discusses the theoretical distinction between linguistic markers and indicators, which correlate with social class and style.