What is Sociolinguistics?
A term sociolinguistics is a derivational word. Two words that form it are sociology and linguistics. Sociology refers to a science of society; and linguistics refers to a science of language. It study of the relationship between language and society. Some investigators have found it to introduce a distinction between sociolinguistics and sociology of language. Some others regard sociolinguistics is often referred as the sociology of language.
According to (Jenet Holmes, 2001) it concerned with the relationship between language and the context in which it is used. In other words, it studies the relationship between language and society. It explains we people speak differently in different social contexts. It discusses the social functions of language and the ways it is used to convey social meaning.
So, Sociolinguistics is a branches of linguistics which is studyof language as it functions in society; the study of the interaction between linguistic and social variables , including differences of regional, class, and occupational dialect, gender differences, bilingualism, etc.
Why do we learn Sociolinguistics?
Sociolinguistics as you know is that branch of linguistics dealing with the influence of the society on language and vice-versa. The reasons why we studied sociolinguistics, among others : to know how a language is acquired and also how a language is modified according to different social circumstances. Through this we also come into contact with the traditional value of a language, such as accent, dialect in every region, the function of the language in every language, how the language switching and mixing, etc So, it is important for us to studied.
What is the relation between language and society?
Language is both a system of communication between individuals and a social phenomenon. The area of language and society – sociolinguistics – is intended to show how our use of language is governed by such factors as class, gender, race, etc.
Please mention and explain the branches of linguistics ?
Linguistics is study of language. It is concerned with human language as a universal and recognizable part of human behavior and of the human abilities. Raja T. Nasr (1984).
The Branches of linguistics
1. General linguistic generally describes the concepts and categories of a particular language or among all language. It also provides analyzed theory of the language. Descriptive linguistic describes or gives the data to confirm or refute the theory of particular language explained generally.
2. Micro linguistic is narrower view. It is concerned internal view of language itself (structure of language systems) without related to other sciences and without related how to apply it in daily life. Some fields of micro linguistic:
a. Phonetics, the study of the physical properties of sounds of human language
b. Phonology, the study of sounds as discrete, abstract elements in the speaker's mind that distinguish meaning
c. Morphology, the study of internal structures of words and how they can be modified
d. Syntax, the study of how words combine to form grammatical sentences
e. Semantics, the study of the meaning
f. Pragmatics, the study of how utterances are used in communicative acts
g. Discourse analysis, the analysis of language use in texts (spoken, written, or signed)
h. Applied linguistic is the branch of linguistic that is most concerned with application of the concepts in everyday life, including language-teaching.
3. Macro linguistic is broadest view of language. It is concerned external view of language itself with related to other sciences and how to apply it in daily life. Some fields of micro linguistic:
a. Stylistics, the study of linguistic factors that place a discourse in context.
b. Developmental linguistics, the study of the development of linguistic ability in an individual, particularly the acquisition of language in childhood.
c. Historical linguistics or Diachronic linguistics, the study of language change.
d. Language geography, the study of the spatial patterns of languages.
e. Evolutionary linguistics, the study of the origin and subsequent development of language.
f. Psycholinguistics, the study of the cognitive processes and representations underlying language use.
g. Sociolinguistics, the study of social patterns and norms of linguistic variability.
h. Clinical linguistics, the application of linguistic theory to the area of Speech-Language Pathology.
i. Neurolinguistics, the study of the brain networks that underlie grammar and communication.
j. Biolinguistics, the study of natural as well as human-taught communication systems in animals compared to human language.
k. Computational linguistics, the study of computational implementations of linguistic structures.
What is standard language? Giving an example!
A standard language or standard variety may be defined either as a language or the variety that has undergone standardization. In British English the standard, known as Standard English (SE), is historically based on the language of the medieval English court of Chancery. The establishment of this standard as the norm of "polite" society, that is to say of the upper classes. The spoken standard has come to be seen as a mark of good education and social prestige.Although often associated with the Received Pronunciation accent, Standard English can be spoken with any accent.
For examples :. In American and Australian English, for example, "sunk" and "shrunk" as past tense forms of "sink" and "shrink" are beginning to become acceptable as standard forms, whereas standard British English still insists on "sank" and "shrank".
Elaborating the language, dialect, accent, please!
a. Languages are the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way for example, Chinese and Spanish. They are two very different languages and most people would regard them as completely separate
b. Dialect is a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group. The term dialect is often used to characterize a way of speaking that differs from the standard variety of the language.
“He did well”! Whilst the other could say: “He done well!”
Here this isn’t just a difference in pronunciation but also grammar; these are two different dialects. On another tack, one person might say:
“He’s talking” Whilst another says: “He’s a-mardlin’ “
Here there are differences in vocabulary which separate standard British English from the Norfolk dialect.
c. Accent is all about pronunciation. Two people may use the same grammar, the same syntax and the same vocabulary but pronounce the words in a different way. Effectively they have two accents.
For example, people in the north of England tend to say the word path as:
pæːθ with a short vowel whilst people in the south of England tend to say:
pɑːθ with a long vowel. There are two different accents at work here.
Giving an example of formal language and informal language!
1. Informal : I donʼt believe that the results are accurate.
Formal : The results are not believed to be accurate.
2. Informal : The results of the study were mixed up.
Formal : The results of the study were confused.
3. Informal : Lecturers still count on students to use correct grammar and
punctuation in essays.
Formal : Lecturers expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in
essays.
(neutral) Can I suggest you try this new model?
(more formal) May I suggest you try this new model?
(very formal) Might I suggest you try this new model?
What aspects of language are sociolinguistics interested in?
Sociolinguists are interested in explaining why people speak differently in different social contexts. They are concerned with the way people signal aspects of their social identity through language. Sociolinguists study the effect of social factors -- such as social distance, social status, age, gender and class -- on language varieties (dialects, registers, genres, etc). Sociolinguists are also concerned with identifying the social functions of language and the ways it is used to convey social meaning.
When two or more people from different language met and tried to communicate, what should they do?
a. Pidgin is a term for languages which are used by people who do not have a language in common.
Example :
Capt. Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbeans ends his sentences often with savvy.
This word is a pidgin one. It might be derived from French Savez-vous (Do you know?) or Spanish Sabe (usted) You know.
b. Creole comes into being when children are born into a pidgin-speaking environment and acquire the pidgin as a first language. What we know about the history and origins of existing creoles suggests that this may happen at any stage in the development of a pidgin.
Example : Subject Pronouns in Tok Pisin
- I > Mi
- You > Yu
- He/She > Em
- We > Mipela
c. Lingua Franca is one that is used for communication between people who have no native language in common. This helps to facilitate trade and cultural exchange which helps to explain why lingua francas were also called “trade” or “bridge” languages.
Why do people switch and mix a language?
The people do switching and mixing a language to make it easier for them to communicate to understand the messages each other.
Giving an example of code switching and code mixing!
The example of Code Switching
Sinta : Qué estás haciendo ?
Reyna : I try to finish these tasks as soon as possible
Sinta Lee : en qué tarea trabajas
Reyna : mathematics
The example of Code Mixing
Riza : This morning I hantar my baby tu dekat babysitter tu lah
Dena : Why you tidak mengurusnya sendiri?
Riza : Because aku busy ada banyak kerjaan yang belum selesai
