ENG 346: Aspects of the English Language

ENG 346: Aspects of the English Language Lesson 14: Sociolinguistics Week: April 21-27, 2003 Place: Dial 147 Objectives By the end of this lesson, you should be able to do each of the following: Explain how and why language differs among various social groups. Interpret the implications of dialect, register, and other forms of social variation. Define relevant terms. Assignments Read Chapter 14 of Contemporary Linguistics before you come to class on Monday. Activities Think Fast: Analyze the language sample I assign you in class. What sociolinguistic phenomenon does it demonstrate? Presentation: Sociolinguistics (Professor Canada) Cooperative Learning: Respond to questions 7, 8, and 9 at the end of Chapter 14 of Contemporary Linguistics. Discussion: During this time, we will discuss the insights and questions that have emerged during our “Think Fast” exercise, my presentation, and cooperative learning. Workshop: Pair up with a partner and take turns quizzing each other on concepts covered in this course. Conferences: During these one-on-one conferences, I will review some of your writing, orally quiz you on lesson objectives, and field your questions. Announcements: We will wrap up this lesson with announcements regarding upcoming lessons, as well as other relevant subjects. Terms Make sure you know the meaning and significance of each of the following terms: dialect euphemism jargon register slang sociolinguistics Standard English taboo Resources The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language contains extensive information on social variation. The Dictionary of American Regional English is a standard reference on American dialects. An Introduction to Language contains extensive information on sociolinguistics. Updated January 7, 2003 © Mark Canada, 2003 mark.canada@uncp.edu

Introduction In our last lesson, we examined language acquisition. In this lesson, we turn to sociolinguistics, the study of language use in society. Discussion Sociolinguistics For centuries, certain English speakers have taken it upon themselves to dictate what forms of English words and sentences are "correct."  In the 18th century, in particular, Jonathan Swift and other prescriptive grammarians laid down "rules" for English usage in an attempt to make it orderly and immutable. They failed.  Language, it turns out, was against them.  Like the people who speak it, language is not always orderly and has never been immutable.  Instead, it evolves despite rules, and it changes from place to place, time to time, even situation to situation.  Thus, a carpenter talking to co-workers, a college student interviewing for a job, and a fourth-grader talking to friends may all be speaking the same language and for the most part would understand each other; however, a close inspection of their choice, arrangement, and pronunciation of words would reveal some interesting differences.  On the job, for example, many people speak varieties of English peculiar to their particular professions.  The term for these varieties is jargon.  Furthermore, people tend to make their language more formal when they are in more formal settings.  In other words, they adjust their register according to the social setting.  English varies in still other ways, all worth examining. Practice Below are some activities designed to help you master the knowledge and skills covered in this unit.   Dialect and Accent: Compare and contrast the terms dialect and accent.  Why are these two terms often confused? Accommodation: How does accommodation affect changes in accent? Dialect Areas: The Linguistic Atlas of New England, one of a series began by the American Dialect Society, studied three broad dialect areas.  What were these areas and the main differences that were found between them? DARE: Describe the formation and contents of The Dictionary of American Regional English. Register: Compare the language you use among friends or family members with the language you use on the job or in school.  Identify specific differences in your lexicon, morphology, phonology, or syntax.  How do you explain these differences? Standard English: Make an argument for or against teaching Standard English in schools. Jargon: Is jargon ever appropriate?  Support your position. Conclusion In this lesson, we have examined sociolinguistics. In our next and final lesson, we will look at how computers process language.