Sociolinguistics

10 important questions on Sociolinguistics

Why is language part of our identity?

Language can show us where we belong, where we live and what we do. Language is just as much part of our identity as it is part of daily life. Geographical influence plays a large part in a language identity.

What is a dialect?

Like a language, dialect, too, has a grammar, vocabulary and a pronunciation. But unlike languages, a dialect does not have a standard form, or is seen as the standard form of a language. One of the most important features of a dialect in comparison to a language is that it it does not have (or rarely has) a written form. And lastly, dialects are often regarded as less of social prestige than standard form of language in a country.

What is the difference between accent and dialect?

Accent refers only distinctive pronunciation, whereas dialects refers to grammar and vocabulary as well.
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Why is it difficult to distinguish between language and dialects?

Because there is no given set of rules to determine what a language or a dialect is. Rather, linguists speak of a dialect continuum. Language varieties are often seen as dialects rather than languages:
A. If they have no standards are codified form

B. If the speakers of the given language do not have the state of their own.
C. If they are rarely or never used in writing (outside reporting speech)
D. If they let prestige with respect to some other, often standardised, variety.

What is linguistic profiling?

Linguistic profiling is the practice of identifying the social characteristics of an individual based on auditory cues, in particular dialect and accent.

How do you create a social linguistic study and what do these look like?

A. As a start, you must have an observation or a question that triggers the study
B. Statement, question hypothesis
C. Participants
D. Collecting data
E. Analysing data
F. Concluding

Who is William Labov?

William Labov is an American social linguist. He is known for its studies on African American vernacular English, but perhaps even more so on of this study that is called the social stratification of English, which was published in 1966.

What did William Labov study in New York?

Labov wanted to discover whether New York City helped several social groups in which the use of the rhotic or non-rhotic R, was determined by social class.

Explain covert versus overt prestige.

This type of seeking prestige through linguistic use is called covert prestige. It is choosing to differ from the standard. Overt prestige seeking prestige by assimilating to the standard.

What is a pidgin?

A pidgin is a language with no native speakers: it is no one's first language but is a contact language. It is an improvised communications system developed by people in a multilingual situation in which they have to find a way to communicate to each other.

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