Podcast Beta
Questions and Answers
Sociolinguistics is the study of our everyday lives – how language works in our casual conversations and the media we are exposed to, and the presence of societal norms, policies, and laws which address ______.
language
SOCIETY: a group of people who are drawn together for a certain purpose or ______.
purposes
LANGUAGE: to mean a system of linguistic communication particular to a group; this includes spoken, written, and signed modes of ______.
communication
A society must have a language or languages in which to carry out its ______, and we label ways of speaking with reference to their speakers.
Signup and view all the answers
Sociolinguistics is not a study of facts but the study of ideas about how societal norms are intertwined with our language use (e.g., what it means to be a male or female member of a particular society may influence the terms we use to address each ______).
Signup and view all the answers
Sociolinguistics studies the relationship between ______ and Language.
Signup and view all the answers
Sociolinguistics is the study of the sociological aspects of ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Sociolinguists attempt to isolate linguistic features that mark the various social relationships among the participants and the significant elements of the ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Influences on the choice of sounds, grammatical elements, and vocabulary items may include factors such as age, sex, education, occupation, ______, and peer-group identification.
Signup and view all the answers
An American English speaker may use different forms depending on considerations such as level of education, race, social class or consciousness, or the effect he wishes to produce on the person he is ______.
Signup and view all the answers
What sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropologists provide descriptive grammars of languages, which describe, analyze, and explain how people actually speak their ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Knowledge of a language includes knowing what is part of the language and what is ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Knowing a language also means knowing how to use that language, since speakers know not only how to form sentences but also how to use them ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Competence can be defined as: what speakers know about their ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Performance is defined as what speakers do with their language, how do they use it and in what ______.
Signup and view all the answers
The linguistic behavior of individuals cannot be understood without knowledge of the communities that they belong ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Sociolinguistics Definition
- Sociolinguistics is the study of language in everyday life, including casual conversations and media, and societal norms, policies, and laws that influence language use.
Society and Language
- A society is a group of people united for a certain purpose or interest.
- Language refers to a system of linguistic communication unique to a group, including spoken, written, and signed modes.
- A society must have a language or languages to carry out its activities.
Key Concepts
- Sociolinguistics studies the relationship between society and language.
- It examines the sociological aspects of language.
- Sociolinguists analyze linguistic features that mark social relationships among participants and significant elements of the context.
Influences on Language Choice
- Factors influencing language choice include age, sex, education, occupation, social status, and peer-group identification.
- An American English speaker may use different forms depending on considerations such as level of education, race, social class, or the effect they wish to produce on the listener.
Language Knowledge
- Knowledge of a language includes knowing what is part of the language and what is not.
- Knowing a language means knowing how to use it, including forming sentences and using them appropriately.
Competence and Performance
- Competence refers to what speakers know about their language.
- Performance refers to what speakers do with their language, including how they use it and in what contexts.
Linguistic Behavior
- The linguistic behavior of individuals cannot be understood without knowledge of the communities they belong to.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the fundamental concepts of society and language in sociolinguistics. This quiz provides definitions for the terms 'society' and 'language', and examines the relationship between them within the field of sociolinguistics.
