Sociolinguistics quiz 3

Chapters 5 and 6

Variationist sociolinguistics

quantitative correlational studies that investigate whether there is a relationship between independent social variables (gender, age, social class) and dependent linguistic variables using a judgement sample of informants.

Linguistic variable

a linguistic feature which can be realised in different ways → different ways of saying the same thing.

variants of a variable

the different ways in which a variable is realised.

indicator

a linguistic variable to which little or no social import is attached.

marker

a linguistic feature that carries social meaning which is apparent to speakers, depends on style.

stereotype

a linguistic feature which is consciously and commonly associated with a particular social group

quantitative apprach to sociolinguistics

aim to establish general laws across different settings/contexts.

correlational studies

investigate whether the IV and DV are related in a sample. can show the presence of a relationship, interventions can demonstrate causality.

dependent variable

depends on the independent variable

validity

the extent to which the data collected addresses the research question

reliability

the extent to which the means of assessment of the variables produce stable and consistent results.

observer’s paradox

the difficulty that researchers find themselves in when what they are interested in knowing is how people behave when they are not being observed, but the only way to find out how they behave is to observe them. → when we observe people we change their behaviour.

Random sample

a sample in which everyone in a population has an equal chance of being selected.

sample

group of research participants for a study.

informants

speakers of a language/dialect who provide data on their variety.

real-time study

long-term study conducted at different times, which can show the progress of (language) change. They return to the community over several years.

apparent-time study

researcher visits the community once and conducts a single study by polling people of different ages within the community. the responses of various age groups are compared and conclusions are drawn about the nature of the (linguistic change). has to be verified in real time.

ethnography/ethnographic research

a research process used to provide an in-depth description of the everyday life, beliefs, and cultural practices of a group from an insider’s POV.

used to analyse a particular communicative event or part of an event within a specific time frame (SPEAKING)

participant observation

active participation in the daily life of a community by the researcher that allows knowledge and insight about a community’s linguistic and cultural practices.

ethnomethodology

the study of how people organize and make sense of the social world around them, focusing on everyday activities. aim to study the ‘invisibillity of everyday life’

used to find out what’s ‘normal’ for people at a specific time and place, focuses on how people make sense of the world.

Culturally motivated. Why they do something else. Example of paper fallings and a lot of people helping vs not helping. Cultural norms.

linguistic ethnography

an interpretive approach which studies the local and immediate actions of actors from their POV and considers how these interactions are embedded in wider social contexts.

conducts detailed analyses of language use to understand ideologies, norms and specific language practices.

qualitative approach to sociolinguistics

aim to understand the social reality of individuals, groups and cultures.

ethnography of communication

aims to provide a complete description of all the relevant factors involved in speaking and in how a particular communicative event achieves its objectives. Uses SPEAKING acronym.

S: SPEAKING

the setting (physical time and place) and scene (abstract phychological setting or cultural description) of speech.

P: SPEAKING

the participants in terms of their socially specified roles.

E: SPEAKING

the ends or expected outcomes of an exchange and the personal goals participants seek to accomplish.

A: SPEAKING

act sequence: the precise words used, the actual form and content of what is said.

K: SPEAKING

key: tone in which the message is conveyed (light-hearted, serious, mocking, etc)

I: SPEAKING

instrumentalities: whether the speech is oral, written, signed, telegraphic, etc. and the specific code(s) or register used.

N: SPEAKING

norms of interaction and interpretation: verbal (ex. loudness) and nonverbal (ex. touching, physical distance, eye contact) behaviours considered appropriate during speaking.

G: SPEAKING

genre: poems, proverbs, sermons, lectures, etc.

regional dialectology

the study of how a language varies from one region to another and how this changes over time.

different nature of variants:

categorical, continuous, lexical, syntactic or pragmatic.

What are three types of linguistic variables?

indicators, markers, stereotypes.

sociolinguistic interview

an interview designed to record natural speech from speakers.

methods used in quantitative research:

data with measurements that can be analysed statistically (experiments, questionnaires)

aim of quantitative data analysis:

to establish a relationship between the independent variables (IV) and the dependent variables (DV)

judgment/quota sample

researcher uses specific criteria (age, gender, social class) to choose who will be surveyed.

panel study

the sample remains the same: same people are studied each time.

trend study

different people from the community are studied at different times

which is more common: panel or trend study?

trend studies.

methods used in qualitative research:

participants studied in their natural setting, data consists of respondents’ own words (interviews) and interpretations

what is the effect of participant observation?

reduces the power asymmetry between observer (researcher) and observed (participant)

language socialisation

learning to communicate in ways appropriate to a particular groups. non-verbal aspects also have to be learnt since they can vary depending on the culture.