Sociolinguistics and Education

Language use in school and Language use in school and community – relationships and community – relationships and differencesdifferences

Effect of social and economic status on Effect of social and economic status on educationeducation

Politics of language educationPolitics of language education

Language and school

Classroom discourse – very distinctiveClassroom discourse – very distinctive Different social groups have different Different social groups have different

discourse patternsdiscourse patterns Some children better prepared for Some children better prepared for

school than othersschool than others

Aspects of classroom language

Composed of teacher talk and student Composed of teacher talk and student talktalk

TT is longer and more complexTT is longer and more complex

ST is often supervised and controlledST is often supervised and controlled

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Often a triadic structure – Initiation, Often a triadic structure – Initiation, Response, EvaluationResponse, Evaluation

Sometimes repeated initiationsSometimes repeated initiations

Different languages/cultures may have Different languages/cultures may have different rulesdifferent rules

continued

Different attitudes to silenceDifferent attitudes to silence Native American cultures & Victorian Native American cultures & Victorian

England – children should not be heardEngland – children should not be heard May be interpreted differently in the May be interpreted differently in the

classroomclassroom

Class, ethnicity and language

Shirley Heath found that language was used Shirley Heath found that language was used differently by different groupsdifferently by different groups

MC white parents read aloud to children MC white parents read aloud to children and asked questions – children answered -- and asked questions – children answered -- feedback feedback

Are students prepared for classroom Are students prepared for classroom dialogue?dialogue?

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WC white children read to children but no WC white children read to children but no interaction – not asked questionsinteraction – not asked questions

Authoritarian family structure – children Authoritarian family structure – children listen and adults speaklisten and adults speak

Children not familiar with ST dialoguesChildren not familiar with ST dialogues How do they behave in school?How do they behave in school?

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WC black parents do not read or interact WC black parents do not read or interact with children with children

Often single-parent familiesOften single-parent families welcome spontaneous speech esp. in publicwelcome spontaneous speech esp. in public may lead to conflict in the classroom – may lead to conflict in the classroom –

children do not respond to initiationchildren do not respond to initiation

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Also do not wait for initiationAlso do not wait for initiation

Regarded as hostile and unteachableRegarded as hostile and unteachable

Threaten structure of classroom discourseThreaten structure of classroom discourse

Elaborated and restricted codes

Basil Bernstein, Basil Bernstein, Class, Codes and ControlClass, Codes and Control Children’s language linked to position in Children’s language linked to position in

social structuresocial structure Social class – type of language – behaviour Social class – type of language – behaviour

in school – academic success – social classin school – academic success – social class Social class determined type of languageSocial class determined type of language

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Two different kinds of language – codes or Two different kinds of language – codes or ‘orientations’ (register)‘orientations’ (register)

Elaborated codes – middle classElaborated codes – middle class Restricted codes – working classRestricted codes – working class Not language or dialect any language has or Not language or dialect any language has or

could have an EC + RCcould have an EC + RC

Elaborated code

Elaborated code (orientation) – creative, Elaborated code (orientation) – creative, exact, expressive, many synonyms, broad exact, expressive, many synonyms, broad semantic fields, context independentsemantic fields, context independent

Accurate grammar, coordination & Accurate grammar, coordination & subordination, prepositions, impersonal subordination, prepositions, impersonal pronouns, passive voicepronouns, passive voice

continued

Linked to interactive use of language & Linked to interactive use of language & non-authoritarian family structurenon-authoritarian family structure

Found in middle class families (Britain Found in middle class families (Britain 1960s and 1970s)1960s and 1970s)

Code used in education, administration and Code used in education, administration and high domainshigh domains

example

In 2009 I don’t think that life will be much In 2009 I don’t think that life will be much different. There won’t be any robots different. There won’t be any robots cooking cleaning and doing other household cooking cleaning and doing other household jobs. Cars wont be flying and huge skyrise jobs. Cars wont be flying and huge skyrise buildings. Not many inventions will have buildings. Not many inventions will have been made but one that will be made will be been made but one that will be made will be small not very important ones.small not very important ones.

Restricted Code

Limited range of linguistic resourcesLimited range of linguistic resources Associated with working class and Associated with working class and

disadvantaged groupsdisadvantaged groups Sentences are short, lot of coordination, few Sentences are short, lot of coordination, few

adjectives & adverbsadjectives & adverbs Frequent confirmations (see, Ok, you know)Frequent confirmations (see, Ok, you know) Associated with authoritarian communitiesAssociated with authoritarian communities

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In the future I recon We are going to live in In the future I recon We are going to live in space and the moon and hovering cars. I space and the moon and hovering cars. I said that because might be mostly covered said that because might be mostly covered in water and we would be friends with alien in water and we would be friends with alien beings.beings.

Dinosaurs may rule the earth like Dinosaurs may rule the earth like tyrannosaurus rex and smilodons (this is a tyrannosaurus rex and smilodons (this is a big cat) and new animals may be created….big cat) and new animals may be created….

Class, language and culture

Heath suggested class and race determined Heath suggested class and race determined spoken interaction and this affected school spoken interaction and this affected school success – suggested school needed to success – suggested school needed to changechange

Other factors may be involvedOther factors may be involved Bernstein – class only – affected style – Bernstein – class only – affected style –

suggested culture needed to changesuggested culture needed to change

Deficit hypothesis

USA – Bernstein – led to deficit hypothesisUSA – Bernstein – led to deficit hypothesis Poor performance of minority children due Poor performance of minority children due

to a linguistic deficit – needed to be “taught to a linguistic deficit – needed to be “taught language”language”

But other factors involvedBut other factors involved

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Undermined by sociolinguistic research Undermined by sociolinguistic research AAVE was rule-governed – probably a AAVE was rule-governed – probably a

post-creole rather than derived from white post-creole rather than derived from white dialectsdialects

Labov showed AAVE copula deletion Labov showed AAVE copula deletion equivalent to SE copula contractionequivalent to SE copula contraction

continued

Does not appear to be any language deficitDoes not appear to be any language deficit

Minority problems may be cultural rather Minority problems may be cultural rather than linguisticthan linguistic

Dialect and language in the classroom Choice of language/dialect of education is Choice of language/dialect of education is

often controversialoften controversial Few (any?) monolingual societiesFew (any?) monolingual societies UNESCO recommends early schooling at UNESCO recommends early schooling at

least should be in child’s first languageleast should be in child’s first language Present and future interests of the child may Present and future interests of the child may

not be the samenot be the same

Educational bilingualism

Balance hypothesis – proficiency in one language Balance hypothesis – proficiency in one language reduces proficiency in anotherreduces proficiency in another

But success of immersion education in CanadaBut success of immersion education in Canada This is additive bilingualismThis is additive bilingualism But education is undermined by subtractive But education is undermined by subtractive

bilingualism – typical of immigrant communitiesbilingualism – typical of immigrant communities Interdependence hypothesisInterdependence hypothesis

Dialects and Education

Demands for teaching in/of AAVEDemands for teaching in/of AAVE 1979 court ordered schools to use fluency in 1979 court ordered schools to use fluency in

“Black English” as a foundation fro “Black English” as a foundation fro teaching SE – but collapsedteaching SE – but collapsed

1996 revived in Oakland – proposed 1996 revived in Oakland – proposed “bilingual education” for African American “bilingual education” for African American pupilspupils

debatedebate

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Linguistic Society of America – AAVE is a Linguistic Society of America – AAVE is a rule-governed systematic speech varietyrule-governed systematic speech variety

The distinction between languages and The distinction between languages and dialects is a social and political onedialects is a social and political one

Benefits of recognising vernacular varieties Benefits of recognising vernacular varieties in educationin education

Implications for MalaysiaImplications for Malaysia