Sociolinguistics and Language Influence
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Questions and Answers

Which of the following factors can influence the use of a language?

  • Government policies (correct)
  • Social media trends
  • Education systems (correct)
  • Weather patterns

    • Education systems have no impact on a language's usage.

    False

    What role do media outlets play in the context of language usage?

    Media outlets can reinforce or erode a language's use.

    Governments can use policies to either __________ or __________ a language's presence.

    <p>reinforce, erode</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following tools with their impact on language use:

    <p>Education systems = Reinforces language use Media outlets = Influences language visibility Government policies = Shapes language preferences Community programs = Promotes language learning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What year was Labov's influential study on /r/ pronunciation conducted?

    <p>1966</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Labov's study focused on the pronunciation of the post-vocalic /r/ in New York City.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a word containing the post-vocalic /r/?

    <p>car</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Labov's study specifically examined the pronunciation of the post-vocalic /r/ in New York __________.

    <p>City</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following elements of Labov's study with their descriptions:

    <p>Post-vocalic /r/ = The 'r' sound in words like 'car' and 'farm' New York City = Location of the study William Labov = The researcher behind the study 1966 = Year the study was conducted</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What language is NOT mentioned as part of Algeria's sociolinguistic landscape?

    <p>Italian</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Modern Standard Arabic is a dialect of Arabic used in Algeria.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Name one factor that shapes Algeria's sociolinguistic landscape.

    <p>Coexistence of Arabic dialects, Berber languages, or French.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In Algeria, the sociolinguistic landscape is shaped by the coexistence of Arabic dialects, _______ languages, and French.

    <p>Berber</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following languages with their characteristics in Algeria:

    <p>Arabic dialects = Spoken at the informal level Modern Standard Arabic = Used in formal settings Berber languages = Indigenous languages of North Africa French = Language of administration and education</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What initiates changes in language usage according to the given content?

    <p>Influence from upper classes or prestige forms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Education and media do not play a role in reinforcing language changes.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did RP represent in terms of social perception?

    <p>Marker of social status</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Name one institution that reinforces changes in language usage.

    <p>Education or Media</p> Signup and view all the answers

    RP is still regarded as the most prestigious accent in contemporary society.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Changes in language usage are often reinforced by __________ and __________.

    <p>education; media</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does RP stand for?

    <p>Received Pronunciation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following terms with their descriptions:

    <p>Upper Class = Initiates changes in language usage Prestige Forms = Forms of language that are consciously adopted Education = Institution reinforcing language changes Media = Institution that influences language adoption</p> Signup and view all the answers

    RP was once considered a marker of __________ and prestige.

    <p>social status</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following terms with their descriptions:

    <p>RP = An accent associated with social prestige Social Status = The standing or rank of an individual in society Prestige = Respect and admiration from others Accent = A distinctive way of pronouncing a language</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of creolisation?

    <p>A pidgin language being transformed into a fully developed creole</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Creolisation involves the simplification of a language.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a pidgin language?

    <p>A simplified language that develops as a means of communication between speakers of different native languages.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Creolisation transforms a pidgin into a fully developed __________.

    <p>creole</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the terms related to language development:

    <p>Pidgin = A simplified language for communication Creole = A stabilized and fully developed language Language stabilization = The process of developing language rules Mixed language = Combination of features from multiple languages</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Introduction to Language Contact

    • Language contact occurs when speakers of different languages interact, leading to borrowing, code-switching, or the creation of new languages.
    • Language contact is a fundamental aspect of human history and continues to shape language worldwide.

    Dialect Levelling

    • Dialect levelling is the process by which regional dialects become more uniform over time, particularly in urban areas.
    • Migration and social network shifts are key drivers of this phenomenon.

    Case Study of Milton Keynes

    • Milton Keynes, a new town in the UK, provides a case study of how new accents and dialects develop in urbanizing communities.
    • The study, by Kerswill and Williams, shows how children create a unique accent by blending elements from various parent dialects.

    Global Language Contact

    • Language contact is a global phenomenon, occurring through trade, migration, and globalization.
    • This has resulted in a rich tapestry of linguistic diversity and borrowing.

    Pidgins and Creoles

    • Pidgins are simplified languages that emerge when speakers of different languages need to communicate but do not share a common language.
    • Pidgins are often characterized by reduced grammar and vocabulary, emerging in situations like trade and colonization.
    • When pidgins become the first language of successive generations, they evolve into creoles, becoming fully developed languages with complex grammatical structures and vocabularies.

    Creole Creation

    • Creole languages often arise from pidgins, which have become stabilized and transformed into fully developed languages, particularly in instances where children in a community learn a pidgin as their first language.
    • This is often evident in instances of multilingual communities, where children begin to develop a new language by incorporating elements from existing languages, demonstrating the capacity for language to evolve.

    Expanded Pidgins

    • Expanded pidgins are languages that result from pidgins adapting to more complex communicative needs.
    • These languages are often characterized by retaining some simplified structure while also expanding communicative capacities for greater complexity. Example: Hawaiian Pidgin.

    Language Contact and Sociolinguistic Theory

    • Language contact is central to sociolinguistics and shapes language variation and change dynamically.
    • Language contact has lasting implications on regional dialects and helps to understand how communities shift linguistically over time and across space.

    Real-Time and Apparent-Time Studies of Language Change

    • Real-Time studies examine language change directly over time by collecting data from the same community across different times.
    • Apparent-time studies observe language changes by analysing speech from different age groups at a single point in time to infer historical change.
    • These approaches each have benefits and drawbacks, and often both are used together to provide greater depth in research.

    Profiles of Change

    • Profiles of change track how specific linguistic variables evolve via various patterns such as slow adoption, rapid increase, or stabilization.
    • These are useful tools for researchers to better understand language adaptation and evolution.

    Class Stratification and Language

    • Social class can significantly influence language use in a community.
    • Societal change, modernization, and shifts in cultural attitudes can alter the perceived prestige of different language varieties in a community.
    • The adoption of particular language characteristics is often a tool for expressing identity, marking certain class divisions, or indicating particular social distinctions within a community.

    Cross-Over Effects

    • Speakers from one class may adopt features of another class, particularly in formal situations,
    • These effects reflect changes in social status, community norms, and the interaction between social groupings within a region.
    • Many language researchers have shown how different aspects of social groups and cultures are reflected in the forms of language utilized by people in certain social situations.

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    Related Documents

    Sociolinguistics Handout - Multilingualism & Language Choice - PDF

    Description

    Explore the factors that influence language usage, focusing on sociolinguistic dynamics in Algeria and Labov's influential study on /r/ pronunciation. This quiz covers various elements such as media, education systems, and government policies that affect language presence. Test your knowledge on how these factors shape communication and linguistic diversity.

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