Sociolinguistics and Digital Communication Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering sociolinguistics, text analysis, digital communication, persuasion theories, and sociolinguistic research studies based on the provided review notes.

Standard Language

Language that is standardized through political, economic, and social systems, established as an official means of communication, and carrying overt prestige and higher prestige overall than non-standard varieties.

Non-standard Language

Regional or informal variations that deviate from the standard version of the language and carry covert prestige.

Overt Prestige

According to the textbook transcript, the positive social value and high status assigned to a language variety that is recognized as the institutional standard.

Covert Prestige

According to the textbook transcript, the positive social value assigned to a non-standard language variety within a speech community, linked to local pride, group identity, and solidarity.

Prescriptive Grammar

Grammar that dictates how a language should be used based on established rules (“prescribing” a language).

Descriptive Grammar

Grammar that analyzes and studies how people actually use language in everyday life (“describing” a language).

Critical Period Hypothesis

A hypothesis stating that there is a specific window of time from the first few years of life where humans can acquire a first or second language with native-like fluency, after which native fluency and understanding of grammatical structures becomes much harder.

Writing as a Technology

The understanding of writing as a major technological advancement due to its ability to capture thoughts and ideas in a lasting format and communicate them to people not present or alive at the time.

Spontaneous Speech vs. Formal Writing

Contrasts in language production where speech is effortless, impermanent, unplanned, affective, and less grammatically/lexically complex, whereas writing is effortful, recorded, planned/edited, informational, and complex.

Situational Aspects of Text Classification

Aspects used to classify texts including Channel (Spoken vs. Written), Communication (Informational, affective, descriptive, directive, narrative), Formality (Formal vs. Informal), Participants, Production (Planned or Unplanned), and Setting (Private vs. Public).

Register Aspects of Text Classification

Aspects used to classify texts including Vocabulary features, Affective vs. Informational features, Grammatical features, and Standard vs. Non-standard forms.

Genre Aspects of Text Classification

Aspects used to classify texts including Greetings, Standard openings, Expected elements, and Closings/Farewells.

Baron’s (2008) Instant Messaging Findings

Research finding that females engaged in more affective communication, discussed feelings, facilitated solidarity, adhered more to standard English, and were more “chatty,” whereas males oriented messages toward informational exchanges.

Aydin (2025) Research Findings

Study confirming that women use more boosters, emojis, and apologize more on WhatsApp and Twitter, while complexifying prior work by showing both genders express more emotion on WhatsApp and women adopt neutral/inexpressive tones in male-dominated subreddits.

William Labov’s NYC Study

A study investigating the correlation between the pronunciation of the rhotic “r” and social class across three NYC department stores (Saks, Macy’s, S. Klein), finding that higher socioeconomic status correlated with higher frequency of pronouncing the rhotic r.

Audience Design

The action of shaping language, content, or media to fit the specific needs or expectations of the intended reader, viewer, or listener.

Code-switching

Alternating between two distinct languages, dialects, or grammatical systems within a conversation.

Style-shifting

Alternating between tone, speech, or writing style within the same language.

Persuasion (Dayter & Messerli, 2022)

Understood as a process (attempting to be persuasive), an effect (having persuaded someone / influence), or an attempt/intention to change another participant's behavior, feelings, intentions, or viewpoint by linguistic communicative means.

Reason Persuasion

Persuasion based on giving someone clear, direct, and factual reasons to buy or do something.

Tickle Persuasion

Persuasion based on appealing to humor, emotion, or mood.

Informal vs. Formal Register Features (Dayter & Messerli)

Classification table distinguishing Informal features (First & second person pronouns, Imperatives, General emphatics) from Formal features (Average word length, Elaborate connectors, Nominalizations & suasive verbs).

Dayter & Messerli r/ChangeMyView Outcomes

Study findings showing no systematic formality differences between Delta and non-Delta posts, with users consistently favoring formal, sophisticated, evidence-based discourse over tickle-based persuasion.

Propensity of Alignment

The inherent personal inclination to adapt one’s communication to others (Hilte et al., 2022).

Speech Complementarity

Mutual divergence by men and women in order to emphasize social roles (Hilte et al., 2022).

Orality Maxim

A maxim of informal online interaction defined as writing in a way that captures how one typically speaks.

Expressive Compensation Maxim

A maxim of informal online interaction defined as using specific types of formatting to compensate for the absence of certain expression cues in written communication.

Hilte et al. Gender Alignment Findings

Study showing that full convergence is seldom desired in IMs; in 1-to-1 messaging, boys adopt a more expressive “female” style with girls and vice versa, contradicting prior findings that women accommodate more.

Functions of the Heart Emoji

In instant messaging, heart emojis serve as markers of familiarity, structural punctuation to end sentences (especially among teens), and non-romantic friendship markers.

Polymedia Repertoire

The full range of communication platforms and semiotic resources that one uses to move fluidly through daily life in the digital world (Tagg & Lyons, 2021).

Polymedia Environment

A communication setting where individuals navigate an interconnected structure of digital media rather than using isolated tools.

Device Attention

Periods of time when participants move from other activities to check their mobile phones and respond, often to multiple messages.