SOCIOLINGUISTICSSOCIOLINGUISTICS

Albornoz, LillyAlbornoz, LillyGonzalez, MeibelGonzalez, Meibel

Rodriguez, LyaRodriguez, LyaWong, FanziWong, Fanzi

Caracas, January 23Caracas, January 23rdrd 2009 2009

Universidad Pedagógica Experimental LibertadorInstituto Pedagógico de Caracas

SOCIOLINGUISTICSSOCIOLINGUISTICSIs the study of the relationship Is the study of the relationship between language and society.between language and society.

Its main concern is the Its main concern is the description of language description of language

variation within a social group.variation within a social group.

Language variation focuses on how Language variation focuses on how language varies in different contexts, language varies in different contexts, where where contextcontext refers to things like refers to things like

ethnicity, social class, sex, ethnicity, social class, sex, geography, age, and a number of geography, age, and a number of

other factors. other factors.

Main ConceptsMain Concepts

VarietyVariety DialectDialect IdiolectIdiolectDifferent ways of Different ways of expressing the expressing the same meaning. same meaning. Importantly, this Importantly, this refers to within refers to within language, not language, not across language, across language, differences. An differences. An example of internal example of internal variation in English variation in English is "ask" vs. "aks". is "ask" vs. "aks".

Is the collection ofIs the collection of attributes attributes (phonetic, (phonetic, phonological, phonological, syntactic, syntactic, morphological, morphological, semantic) that semantic) that make one group of make one group of speakers noticeably speakers noticeably different from different from another group of another group of speakers of the speakers of the

same languagesame language..

Refers to the Refers to the variety of language variety of language spoken by each spoken by each individual speaker individual speaker of the language. of the language. Just as there is Just as there is variation among variation among groups of speakers groups of speakers of a language, of a language, there is variation there is variation from speaker to from speaker to speaker. speaker.

Geographic

B

SocialSocial

BB

Ethnic/Religious

BOccupational

B

Societal behaviors toward Societal behaviors toward languagelanguage StandardizationStandardization codification codification

and acceptance of a formal set of and acceptance of a formal set of norms defining “correct usage”norms defining “correct usage”

AutonomyAutonomy uniqueness and uniqueness and independence of the linguistic systemindependence of the linguistic system

HistoricityHistoricity origin and origin and development of standard varietiesdevelopment of standard varieties

ValidityValidity amount and importance amount and importance of the native speakers of the native speakers

Ja n et H o lm e s d e fin e s d ig lo ss ia as h a v in g th ree cru c ia l fe a tu res :

1 . In t h e sa m e la n g u ag e , u sed in t h e sa m e co m m u n ity , t h ere are tw o d is t in c t v ar ie t ies . O n e is r eg ard ed as h ig h (H ) an d t h e o th er lo w (L ) .

2 . E ach is u sed fo r d is t in c t fu n ct io n s . 3 . N o o n e u ses t h e h ig h (H ) in ev ery d a y co n v ersa t io n .

In t h e fo llo w in g e x a m p le it is easy to t e ll w h ic h v a r ie ty yo u w ill u se g iv e n t h e so c ia l s it u a t io n s :

T e llin g a jo k e In t erv ie w in g fo r a jo b G iv in g a sp eec h fo r a ch ar it y e v e n t G iv in g a sp eec h fo r a fr ie n d fo r h is / h er b ir th d a y C h u rc h C a fet er ia

DIG LO SSIA

R easo n s fo r th e d e velo p m en t o f P id g in s In the nineteenth century, w hen s laves from A fr ica w ere brought over to N orth A mer ica to w ork on the planta tions, they w ere separa ted from the people of the ir community and m ixed w ith people of var ious other communit ies, therefore they w e re unable to communicate w ith each other. T he strategy behind this w as so they couldn 't come up w ith a plot to escape back to the ir land. T herefore , in order to fina lly communicate w ith the ir peers on the planta tions, and w ith the ir bosses, they needed to form a language in w hich they could co mmu nica te . Pidgins a lso arose because of coloniza t ion. Prominent languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese , E nglish, and D utch w ere the languages of the coloni zers. T hey traveled, and se t up ports in coasta l tow ns w here shipping and trading routes w ere access ible .

PIDGINS AND CREOLES

C an you guess w hat language th is is? "S apo s yu ka ik a i p la nt i p ina t , ba i yu k a m ap s t ro ng o lse m p ha nto m ." "Fa nt o m , yu pren t ru b ilo ng m i. Inap yu ke n he lp im m i nau ?" "Fa nto m , e m i g o w e?" T hese lines are t ak en fro m a fa m o u s co m ic s t r ip in P ap ua N ew G u inea:

T ra ns la t io n :

'I f yo u e a t p le n t y o f pe a nu ts, yo u w ill c o m e up st rong like the p ha n to m .'

'P ha n to m , yo u a re a t rue fr ie nd o f m ine . A re yo u a b le to he lp m e no w ? '

1W he re d id he go ? '

"S ap o s yu k a ik a i p la n t i p in a t , b a i yu k a m ap s t ro n g o lse m p h a n to m ."

"F a n t o m , yu p ren t ru b ilo n g m i. In ap yu k e n h e lp im m i n au ?"

"F a n to m , e m i g o w e?"

C a n y o u g u e s s w h a t m a jo r la n g u a g e ( t h e s u p e r s t r a t e ) c o n t r ib u t e d to t h e v o c a b u la r y in e a c h o f t h e s e C r e o le s ? T h is t a b le is t a k e n fr o m J a n e t H o lm e s , " A n I n t r o d u c t io n to S o c io lin g u is t ic s " :

a . m o p e a st e s a b a n a n b . d e b in a ld e lu k d a t b ig t r i c . a w a k a g o a w o s u d . o lm a a n i k a s - im c h e k e . l i p o t e s a b a y m o f. ja fr u h e r w ir b le ib e n g . d is s m o l s w a in i b in g o fo m a k e t

I a m b u y in g t h e b a n a n a t h e y a lw a y s lo o k e d fo r a b ig t r e e h e w a lk e d h o m e t h e o ld m a n is c a s h in g a c h e c k h e b r o u g h t t h a t fo r m e Y e s a t fir s t w e r e m a in e d t h is l it t le p ig w e n t to m a r k e t

ANSWERS: a) French based Seychelles Creole b) English based Roper River Creole c) English based Saran d) English based Cape York Creole e) French based Guyanais f) German based Papua New Guinea Pidgin

German g) English based Cameroon Pidgin

POLITENESSPOLITENESS

Is defined by the concern for Is defined by the concern for the feelings of others.the feelings of others.

POLITENESSPOLITENESS

““Go get me the plate”Go get me the plate”

““Could you please pass me that plate, Could you please pass me that plate, if you don’t mind”if you don’t mind”

““Shut-up”Shut-up”

““I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrup, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrup, but I am not able to hear the speaker but I am not able to hear the speaker in front of the room” in front of the room”

POLITENESSPOLITENESS

Face: Face: the respect that an individual the respect that an individual has for him or herself in private or has for him or herself in private or public situations.public situations.

Face-Threatening Acts: Face-Threatening Acts: Are acts Are acts that infringe on the hearer’s need to that infringe on the hearer’s need to maintain his or her self-steem and maintain his or her self-steem and respect.respect.

POLITENESSPOLITENESS

Situation:Situation:What would you do if you see a cup of pens on What would you do if you see a cup of pens on

your teacher’s desk, and you want to use your teacher’s desk, and you want to use one? Would you say…one? Would you say…

a)a) ““Ooh, I want to use one of those!”Ooh, I want to use one of those!”

b)b) ““So, is it OK if I use one of those pens?”So, is it OK if I use one of those pens?”

c)c) ““I’m sorry to bother you but, I just wanted to I’m sorry to bother you but, I just wanted to ask you if I could use one of those pens?”ask you if I could use one of those pens?”

d)d) (Indirectly) (Indirectly) ”Hmm, I’m sure I could use a blue ”Hmm, I’m sure I could use a blue pen right now”pen right now”

POLITENESSPOLITENESS

TYPES OF POLITENESS STRATEGIESTYPES OF POLITENESS STRATEGIES

““Ooh, I want to use one of those!”Ooh, I want to use one of those!”

(Bald On-Record)(Bald On-Record) ““So, is it OK if I use one of those pens?”So, is it OK if I use one of those pens?”

(Positive Politeness)(Positive Politeness) ““I’m sorry to bother you but, I just wanted to ask you if I I’m sorry to bother you but, I just wanted to ask you if I

could use one of those pens?”could use one of those pens?”

(Negative Politeness)(Negative Politeness) (Indirectly) (Indirectly) ”Hmm, I’m sure I could use a blue pen right ”Hmm, I’m sure I could use a blue pen right

now”now”

(Off-Record-Indirect Satrategie)(Off-Record-Indirect Satrategie)

POLITENESS AND POLITENESS AND GENDERGENDERAre women more polite than men?Are women more polite than men?

Women typically use more speech than men.Women typically use more speech than men.

Women generally show more respect for the Women generally show more respect for the person whom they are talking to.person whom they are talking to.

Women generally use more devices as questions.Women generally use more devices as questions.

It has been historically expected from a woman to It has been historically expected from a woman to act “like a lady” and respect people around.act “like a lady” and respect people around.

Boys are permitted, and even encouraged to talk Boys are permitted, and even encouraged to talk rough, cultivate a deep masculine “voice”.rough, cultivate a deep masculine “voice”.

Who Talks More, Men or Who Talks More, Men or Women?Women?

Men are more prone to use up more talking Men are more prone to use up more talking time than womentime than women in their speech production. in their speech production.

Men take a more dominant role in the household and Men take a more dominant role in the household and in the business worldin the business world..

It is more acceptable for a man to be talkative, carry It is more acceptable for a man to be talkative, carry on long conversation, or a give a long wordy speech, on long conversation, or a give a long wordy speech, however it is less acceptable for a women to do sohowever it is less acceptable for a women to do so..

It has been more of a historical trend for men have It has been more of a historical trend for men have more rights to talkmore rights to talk..

It is common for men to be more silent in situations It is common for men to be more silent in situations that require them to express emotionthat require them to express emotion..

Do Men and Women Do Men and Women Really Speak Differently?Really Speak Differently?

In some languages there are gender-In some languages there are gender-exclusive speech patterns for men and exclusive speech patterns for men and

women respectively.women respectively.

There are distinct words that are used for men and women respectively.

There are exclusive speech pattern for men speaking to men and women speaking to women.