Monday_Week11

Introduction to Sociolinguistics

  • Quote by Thomas Hardy on dialects as marks of social class.

  • Focus on social dialects in sociolinguistics.

Participation Survey

  • End of quarter participation survey details:

    • Access from Week 11 module.

    • Open until December 6 at 11:59 pm.

Final Exam Details

  • Scheduled on Canvas for Wednesday, December 11.

    • Opens at 12:01 am and closes at 11:59 pm (24-hour window).

    • 110 minutes to complete after starting (do not start after 10:10 pm).

    • Total points: 65-70.

    • DRS extended time managed via Canvas – contact instructor if issue arises.

Class Topics Today

  • Covered topics:

    • Distinctions between 'standard' and 'nonstandard' dialects.

    • Concepts of overt vs. covert prestige in dialects.

    • The role of social dialects with variations in ethnicity, social class, and gender.

  • Assigned Readings: Sections 10.4 – 10.5.

U.S. Regional Dialects

  • Discussion question: Which U.S. regional dialect is considered the most correct?

    • Options: The North, The Midland, The South, The West.

Linguistic Attitudes

  • No dialect is linguistically superior or inferior.

    • All dialects are systematic and logical in their own contexts.

Standard vs. Non-standard Dialects

  • Standard Dialect:

    • Utilized by political leaders, media, upper classes; often taught in schools.

    • Considered the 'prestige' dialect.

  • Non-standard Dialect:

    • Refers to any dialect not recognized as 'standard'.

    • Not synonymous with terms like 'substandard', 'incorrect', or 'ungrammatical'.

Characteristics of Standard American English (SAE)

  • Defined primarily by syntactic rather than phonological features.

  • Prestige associated with standard dialects is arbitrary and not based on linguistic merit.

Prestige in Dialects

  • Overt Prestige:

    • Linked to standard dialects; indicates societal expectations for status.

  • Covert Prestige:

    • Associated with nonstandard dialects; valued by specific groups within the community.

Hypercorrection

  • Occurs when individuals use nonstandard forms mistakenly, aiming for overt prestige:

    • Examples:

      • Phonological: Intrusive 'r' in r-less dialects ("The idea(r) is...").

      • Syntactic: Cases like "Let’s keep this between you and I." and "Whom is calling?".

Factors Contributing to Variation

  • Social situation (speech style).

  • Age (use of slang).

  • Occupation (industry jargon).

  • Geography (regional dialects).

  • Ethnicity, Gender, and Social status/class affecting social dialects.

Social Dialects and Ethnicity

  • Overview of African-American English (AAE):

    • A diverse continuum primarily spoken among African-Americans.

    • Not exclusive to or indicative of a lack of education.

    • Differentiates from stereotypes such as "black slang".

Structure of AAE

a. Multiple Negation:

  • Example: "He don’ know nothin.’"

  • Comparable to Spanish and Middle English forms.

b. Absence of 'to be':

  • Example: "He __ my brother."

  • Parallels in other languages like Russian.

c. Absence of 3rd Person Singular '–s':

  • Example: "He eat five times a day."

Bidialectal Speakers

  • AAE/SAE speakers may switch to AAE to identify positively with the community:

    • Reasons include seeking overt or covert prestige.

Socioeconomic Class Variation

  • William Labov's NYC 'r' study:

    • Analyzed speech among salespeople in different department stores: Saks (upper class), Macy's (middle class), S. Klein (lower class).

    • Methodology included casual and careful speech samples.

  • Results:

    • Percentage of [ɹ]’s production increased with socioeconomic class and attention to speech.

Conclusions from Dept Store Study

  • Pronunciation of [ɹ] correlates with social class:

    • Lower classes use fewer [ɹ]’s.

    • Significant intra-speaker variation largely seen in lower classes, highlighting the role of overt prestige.

Social Dialects and Gender

  • Distinctions between biological sex (male vs. female) and social gender (masculine vs. feminine):

    • Women's voices generally higher in pitch.

    • Social speech norms see women using 'standard' forms more frequently compared to men.

  • Notable cultural variations in norms around speech:

    • Direct vs. indirect speech preferences across cultures.

Language Variation Summary

  • Language and dialect serve as crucial indicators of group identity.

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