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8/21/2019 Meeting 2 Sociolinguistics

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Meeting II

Language and SocietySiti Mukminatun


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Sociolinguistics

Study the relationship between language and society.

1. explaining why we speak differently in different socialcontexts

2. identifying the social functions of language and theways it is used to convey social meaning.

An attempt to find correlations between social structure andlinguistic structure and to observe any changes that occur(Gumpers, 1971: 223)

Language and society intertwined impossible tounderstand one without the other.

The language used by the participants is influenced by anumber of social factors.


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Sociolinguistics vs. the Sociology of

language

Sociolinguistics

investigating the relationships between languageand society with the goal of a better

understanding of the structure of language andof how languages function in communication

Sociology of language

to discover how social structure can be better

understood through the study of language, e.g.how certain linguistic features serve tocharacterize particular social arrangement


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Sociolinguistics vs. the Sociology of

language

Hudson, 1980: 4-5

a. Sociolinguistics is the study of language

in relation to society,

b. Sociology of language: the study of

society in relation to language

Similarity:a. Both require systematic study of

language.


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The relationship between language

and society (wardaugh, : 10)

1. Social structure linguistic structure and/or behavior

a. age-grading phenomenon

young children speak differently from older

children and in turn, children speak differentlyfrom mature adults.

b. studies the varieties of language that speakersuse reflect such matters; their regional, social,

or ethnic origin and possible sex.c. other studies particular ways of speaking,choices of words, and rules for conversing aredetermined by social requirement


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The relationship between

language and society (wardaugh, : 10)

2. Linguistic structure and/or behavior may

either influence or determine socialstructure (behind Whorfian hypothesis)

3. The influence is bi-directional; languageand society may influence each other.

4. There is no relationship at all.


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Social factors

The participants

Who is talking to whom (wife-husband,customer-shopkeeper, boss-worker)

The social setting and function of interaction

e.g. home, work, school

The aim or purpose of the interaction

(informative, social)

The topic; What is being talked about?


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Example I

Ray : Hi mum.

Mum: Hi. Youre late.

Ray : Yeah, that bastard Sootbucket kept us in

again.

Mum: Nanas here.

Ray : Oh sorry. Where is she?


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Analysis I

Language serves a range of functions; to

ask for and give people information, to

express indignation and annoyance, as

well as admiration and express feelings.


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Example II

Ray : Good afternoon, sir.

Principle : What are you doing here at this

time?

Ray : Mr. Sutton kept us in, sir.

For the analysis, see Holmes, 1995: 2-3


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Example III

Every afternoon my friend packs her bag andleaves her Cardiff office at about 5 oclock. Asshe leaves, her business partner says goodbyeMargaret, (she replies goodbye Mike) hersecretary says goodbye Ms Walker, (she repliesgoodbye Jill) and the caretaker says Bye Mrs.Walker(to which she responds goodbye Andy).

As she arrives home she is greeted by Hi mum

from her son, Jamie, hello dear, have a goodday?, from her mother, and simply youre lateagain! from her husband.


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Example III

Later in the evening the president of the

local flower club calls to ask if she would

like to join. Good evening, is that Mrs.

Billington?she asks. No, its Ms Walker,but my husbands name is David

Billington, she answers. What can I do for

you? Finally a friend calls Boradar Meg,hows thing?


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Example IV

Sam : You seen our enrysnew ouse

yet? Itsin altonyou know.

Jim : I have indeed. I could hardly

miss it Sam. Your Henry now

owns the biggest house in Halton.

It illustrated a range of social influences on

language choice.


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Social dimensions

A Social distance scale concerned with

participant relationship

A status scale concerned with participantrelationship

A formality scale relating to the setting or

type of interaction

Two functional scales relating to the

purposes or topic of interaction


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The solidaritysocial distance

scale

Intimate Distant

High solidarity Low solidarity

The scale is useful in emphasizing that howwell we know someone is a relevant factor

in linguistic choice.

e.g. meg vs. Mrs. Belington


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The status scale

Superior high status

Subordinate low status

e.g.1. The use of sir, Mrs., to the lecturer by thestudents

2. The [h]-dropping reflect someones lower

social group


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The formality scale

Formal High formality

Informal Low Formality

1.

Useful in assessing the influence of socialsetting or type of interaction on languagechoice.

2. Often degrees of formality are largely

determined by solidarity and statusrelationshi . But not alwa s.


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The referential and affective

function scalesReferential

High low

Information information

Content content

affective

Low high

Affective affective

Content content


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The referential and affective

function scales1. The more referentially oriented an

interaction is, the less it tends to express

the feelings of the speaker.


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Chaika ( 1988, 10)

the context determines meaning,

1. the social status of speakers

2. the speech event and social conventions

governing it;

3. the social-cultural and physical environment

4. previous discourse between the speakers orknown to them

5. the intent of the speaker.


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Conclusion

Our word choices depend on who we aretalking to.

Language choices convey information

about the social relationships betweenpeople as well as about the topic ofdiscussion.

Linguistic variation occurs at other levelsof linguistic analysis: sounds, word-structure, grammar as well as vocabulary.