05/10/23 1

L23B: Sociolinguistics 2005-2006

Please Turn off all cellular phones & pagers

L23B Website:www.mona.uwi.edu/dllp/courses/l23b

05/10/23 2

Topics for this Session

Theories explaining:Language VariationLanguage Change

05/10/23 3

THEORIES/TOOLS developed to account for variation & change

Social NetworksAccommodation TheoryActs of IdentityIdeology & language use

05/10/23 4

Sources1.    Social Network

Prescribed Text ch. 16, Wardhaugh (pg.127-130, 180-183), Holmes (pg.183-191).

2.    Acts of Identity LePage (on reserve), Prescribed Text ch. 20. Article in Tutor’s pack

3.    Accommodation Theory Prescribed Text ch. 18, Holmes (pg. 230-234). 4. Language and Ideology

Prescribed Text ch. 6, Woolard (available at DITTO).

05/10/23 5

Networks close knit networks will create value for

variety of network close knit networks will create a counter

balance to change those with loose network ties will be more

susceptible to change

05/10/23 6

Networks cont’d gender difference – in language

production hence difference in networks.  

Class differences – in language can be explained through networks

05/10/23 7

Social NetworksMILROY & MILROY (1992) Network Strength “to the extent that ties are strong, linguistic

change will be prevented, … whereas to the extent that they are

weak, they will be more open to external influences and so linguistic change will be facilitated”

05/10/23 8

Social Network – Caribbean Application

Walter F. Edwards. (1984)Socializing the Continuum- Guyanain SCL Occasional Papers – 5th conference

05/10/23 9

Ideology

“the particular system of beliefs and assumptions that underlies every linguistic analysis and every social event”

05/10/23 10

IdeologySociety’s perception towards

variants: Correct Prestigious Stigmatized

05/10/23 11

IdeologyIdeology - Changes in English

centred on: language purity elegance of production Logic Comparison with other prestigious

languages eg. Latin

05/10/23 12

Ideology – Caribbean Alison Irvine in JPCL vol. 19:1 (pp 41-75)

And also:In English world-wide vol 15:1

(pp.55-78)

05/10/23 13

Accommodation Theory

Giles was interested in: “how speakers changed the way

they spoke according to the person they were talking to”.

a speaker may converge or diverge along several dimensions.

05/10/23 14

Accommodation Theory_Schema Speakers A & B. (prescribed text)(1)     A samples B’s speech and:

i.    draw inferences re personality of B.

ii.   assumes that B values such characteristics

iii.    assumes B will approve of him to the extent that A displays similar characteristics.

05/10/23 15

Schema cont’d

Speakers A & B. (2) A chooses from his repertoire,

patterns of speech which will project characteristics of which B is assumed to approved.

05/10/23 16

Accommodation_Jamaica

Done through: Code-mixing, code-shifting, style-

shifting.

These are influenced by: competence/proficiency topic selected participants (converge/diverge)

05/10/23 17

Code-mixing/switching

Conversation between owner and gardenerSpeaker A(owner): good morning, what can I do for

you?

Speaker B(gardener): Mmm, a mi bil Maas Roy yaad, an im se yu a luk fi sumadi fi du fi-yu sar.

Speaker A: ohhh! Good. A niid wan gyardner bad bad. Humoch days yu kan gi mi?

05/10/23 18

Readings

Shields-Brodber (1992)Hens Can Crow Too in SCL

– 9th conference.

05/10/23 19

Acts of Identity • LePage & Tabouret-Keller

(1985), Projection, Focusing, Diffusing

• “speakers often consciously rather than unconsciously use language to convey their social identity”

05/10/23 20

Acts of IdentityProjecting and Focusing Every speech act is an act of

projection. Each speech act is an

announcement.

05/10/23 21

Acts of Identity_Constraints

1. the extent to which we are able to identify our model groups

2. the extent to which we have sufficient access to them and sufficient analytical ability to work out the rules of their behaviour.

05/10/23 22

Acts of Identity_Constraints

3. the strength of various (possibly conflicting) motivations towards one or another model.

4. our ability to modify our behaviour