Sociolinguistics Flashcards

Sociolinguistics

Studies the relation between language and society, between the uses of language and the social structures in which the users of a language live.

Sociolinguistics

The part of linguistics concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon.

Sociolinguistics

Study of correlations between language use and social structure, establishing causal links between language and society.

Sociolinguist

Someone who studies the relationship between language and society and explains why we speak differently in different social contexts.

Linguistic Variation

Can provide social information related to relationships, feelings, rules of setting, and other non-linguistic information.

First Wave Sociolinguistics

Quantitative studies of variation within broad, social categories.

Second Wave Sociolinguistics

Ethnographic studies of language use within local, participant-designed categories.

Third Wave Sociolinguistics

Focuses on styles and identity categories, especially stylistic practice.

Speech Community (Broad View)

People who speak a common language.

Speech Community (Refined View)

A complex interlocking network of communication whose members share knowledge about and attitudes towards language use.

Social Variables

Factors such as gender, geographic location, age, occupation, class, ethnicity, and ideology/politics that influence language use.

Linguistic Variables

Elements of language that vary, including dialect, register, style, syntactic patterns, lexical items, and phonological features.

Register

A variety of language associated with a specific function (e.g., academic English).

Style

Variations within a register that can represent individual choices along social dimensions; individual speakers have a repertoire of styles.

Indexicality

The process of association between linguistic forms and social meaning.

Accommodation

Adjusting speech to converge with (or diverge from) the speech-style of an interlocutor.

Standard Language Varieties

Prestige dialects, often codified in grammar books and usage guides, more common in formal registers.

Vernacular Language Varieties

Community norms, less common/acceptable in formal registers and not usually codified.

Diglossia

The use of different languages/varieties in formal/informal settings, existing side by side.

Description (Sociolinguistics)

A descriptive approach where language variation is a natural and interesting phenomenon.

Prescription (Sociolinguistics)

Views on language variation that stem from standard language ideology, believing the most prestigious form is the most correct, civil, and pure.

Language Attitudes

Language is a powerful social force that does more than convey intended referential information.

Matched Guise Technique

One speaker takes on several guises, performing different languages or accents, used to measure social judgements based solely on linguistic cues.

Accent Bias

A persistent hierarchy of accent evaluations that penalises non-standard working-class and ethnic accents while upholding the belief that national standard varieties are the most prestigious.