IB Language and Culture SL (Unit 1)

Language

a social phenomenon that encompasses the systematic use of sounds, signs, or symbols for communication within a community

Culture

A dynamic force that shapes and is shaped by linguistic practices, it provides the context within which language operates, influencing how people communicate, interpret messages, and construct social identities.

Icon

A sign that represents its object through resemblance or similarity. The relationship between the sign and its meaning is based on likeness, where the sign imitates or replicates certain features of the object it represents.

Index

A sign that is directly connected to its object through a causal or contextual relationship.

Symbol

A sign that represents its object through a conventional or arbitrary relationship agreed upon by a community.

Indexicality

A fundamental concept in sociolinguistics that refers to the way in which linguistic elements point to
specific social meanings, contexts, or identities.

Multifunctionality

A concept in sociolinguistics that refers to the idea that language performs multiple functions simultaneously within communications.

Roman Jakobson's Model of Language Functions

Jakobson outlined six essential functions of language in his communication model. According to Jakobson, every act of verbal communication involves the interplay of these functions, though the emphasis on each may vary depending on the context.

Referential Function

Focuses on the content or context; language used to convey information or describe objects, actions, or events.

Emotive (Expressive) Function

Relates to the speaker's emotions, attitudes, or feelings; language used to express inner states.

Conative Function

Directed toward the addressee; language used to influence or persuade someone, often through commands, requests, or vocatives.

Phatic Function

Focuses on establishing or maintaining social relationships and channels of communication; language used for social interaction.

Metalingual (metalinguistic) Function

Language used to discuss language itself; clarifying meanings, codes, or linguistic forms.

Poetic Function

Emphasizes the aesthetic qualities of language; attention to the form, style, and artistic elements.

Paralinguistic features

Refer to the non-verbal elements of communication used to convey meaning, express emotions, and enhance the message beyond the literal words spoken.

Multilingualism

Refers to the phenomenon where individuals or communities use two or more languages in their daily lives.

Individual multilingualism

the ability of individuals to communicate in multiple languages

societal multilingualism

the coexistence of multiple languages within a society or community

Diglossia

a phenomenon where two distinct varieties of the same language coexist within a single speech community, each serving different social functions and used in specific contexts

"High" (H) variety

Language with higher overt prestige, and which is used in more formal contexts and for writing

"Low" (L)

linguistic variety that is often characterized by its limited use in formal contexts, typically encompassing informal registers, dialects, or languages that are spoken within a specific community

Speech community

a group of people who share rules for conducting and interpreting at least one variety of a language or dialect

Code-switching

where bilingual or multilingual speakers alternate between two or more languages, dialects, or language varieties within a single conversation, utterance, or even within a single sentence

Translanguaging

a concept in sociolinguistics that describes the practice among multilingual speakers of utilizing their multiple linguistic resources as an integrated system, rather than treating each language as a separate entity

Heteroglossia

refers to the coexistence and interaction of multiple varieties of language within a single linguistic context. These varieties include different dialects, sociolects, registers, and even languages, each associated with particular social groups, contexts, or identities

Language Endangerment

situation where a language is at risk of falling out of use and potentially becoming extinct.

Interculturalism

refers to the study and promotion of interaction and communication between people of different cultural backgrounds, emphasizing mutual respect, understanding, and dialogue

Discourse

refers to language use that extends beyond isolated sentences to encompass larger units of communication, such as conversations, narratives, texts, and communicative events, involves the study of how language functions in social contexts and how it both reflects and shapes social identities, relationships, and cultural norms.

Genre

refers to a category of communicative events or texts that share similar characteristics in terms of structure, style, content, and purpose within a particular social and cultural context.

Language ideologies

the beliefs, feelings, and conceptions about language structure and use that are shared by members of a particular community

Hegemony

the dominance or control of one language, language variety, or linguistic practice over others within a particular society; maintained through cultural, political, economic, and social means that establish and reinforce the authority and prestige of the dominant language or variety

Symbolic power

the ability of certain individuals or groups to impose and legitimize their language, dialect, or communicative practices over others within a society

Agency

the capacity of individuals or groups to act independently and make choices regarding their language use, thereby influencing social structures, relationships, and identities. It involves the ability to exert control over one's linguistic practices and to use language as a tool to navigate, resist, or transform social norms and power dynamics