Sociolinguistics Session 2

LING1113

What are the differences between Accent, Dialect, and Variety?

Accent: Differences in pronounciation only

Dialect: Differences in pronunciation, syntax, morphology, and semantics.

Variety: A neutral term used by linguists to refer to both accents and dialects.

What are Sociolinguistic Judgements?

*Sociolinguistics observe systematic variation without making value judgements.

*Their focus is on how linguistic variation constructs social meaning, unlike laypeople who often evaluate language use.

What is style shifting?

Individuals vary their speech depending on context, audience, and task.

-Studied by Labov through structured interviews involving different levels of formality (minimal pairs, word lists, narratives, casual talk).

What is Labov’s NYC study?

-Studied the presence or absence of constricted /r/ in department stores using the phrase ‘forth floor’.

-Found more /r/ in formal speech - leading to the ‘attention to speech’ hypothesis.

-Showed that style exists along a continuum, not in fixed categories.

What is Triangulation in research?

Combining multiple methods (e.g., interviews, rapid anonymous surveys, naturalistic observation).

-Ensures more reliable, consistent results across different research approaches.

What is Overt and Covert Prestige?

Overt Prestige: Variants associated with high social status (e.g., standard speech).

Covert prestige: Non-standard forms used to show solidarity or local identity.

Example: Trudgill’s Norwich study - men claimed to use /tjun/, but actually used /tun/, indicating covert prestige.

What is the Observe’s Paradox?

-The presence of the researcher may influence how people speak.

-A solution is participant observation: spending extended time in a community to record more natural language use.

-Ethical concerns: Secret recordings are problematic and often illegal

What did Giles argue about attention to others?

-Argues that style is shaped by the audience, not just by self-monitoring.

-Known as speech accommodation theory - people adjust their language based on who they are talking to

What did Bell find out about newscasters?

Found that radio newscasters shifted pronunciation depending on whether they were on a classical or popular station.

-Style shifting reflects what speakers believe are the norms of their audience.

-Style variation within individuals stems from patterns between groups

What are the four Audience types? (Bell)

Addressee: known, ratified, and directly addressed

Auditor: Known and ratified, but not directly addressed

Overhearer: Known, but not ratified or addressed

Eavesdropper: Not known, not ratified, not addressed

What is Bell’s Model of Variation?

-Interspeaker variation (between groups) gives rise to intraspeaker variation (within a person).

-Group norms shape how individuals shift their speech styles.

What was the Springville study?

-Longitudinal study in Texas with African-American participants

-Teenagers showed little variation across interviewers, regardless of ethnicity.

-Elderly participant style-shifted more, especially with unfamiliar people.

-Conclusion: Familiarity matters more than ethnicity.

What are the implications for sociolinguistics?

-Style shifting is an interpersonal negotiation, not just group alignment.

-Familiarity often overrides broader group identity

-Deep community engagement is key for understanding real-world language variation.