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What is the main focus of Variationist Sociolinguistics?
What is the main focus of Variationist Sociolinguistics?
- Explaining language variation through linguistic and social context (correct)
- Analyzing language use in different cultures
- Investigating language acquisition in children
- Studying language change over time
What is a 'variable' in sociolinguistics?
What is a 'variable' in sociolinguistics?
- An abstract representation of the source of variation (correct)
- An abstract representation of a linguistic sound
- An actual realization of a linguistic feature
- A social factor influencing language use
What is an example of a sociolinguistic variable in Norwich?
What is an example of a sociolinguistic variable in Norwich?
- The realization of the 'a' in 'castle'
- The use of glottal stops instead of /t/ (correct)
- The pronunciation of /h/ at the beginning of words
- The vowel sound in 'bit'
According to Peter Trudgill's study, what is the status of T-glottalling in Norwich?
According to Peter Trudgill's study, what is the status of T-glottalling in Norwich?
What is the relationship between language variation and social class?
What is the relationship between language variation and social class?
What is the difference between a variable and a variant in sociolinguistics?
What is the difference between a variable and a variant in sociolinguistics?
What is the significance of the example 'Heartbreak make me a dancer' vs. 'Are we human or are we dancer'?
What is the significance of the example 'Heartbreak make me a dancer' vs. 'Are we human or are we dancer'?
What is the main research focus of sociolinguists studying variation?
What is the main research focus of sociolinguists studying variation?
What is a characteristic of 'indicators' in sociolinguistics?
What is a characteristic of 'indicators' in sociolinguistics?
What percentage of the population of England has a regionless accent, also known as Received Pronunciation (RP)?
What percentage of the population of England has a regionless accent, also known as Received Pronunciation (RP)?
What is the name of the variable studied by Bill Labov on Martha's Vineyard?
What is the name of the variable studied by Bill Labov on Martha's Vineyard?
What is a characteristic of 'markers' in sociolinguistics?
What is a characteristic of 'markers' in sociolinguistics?
What is true about Traditional dialects in England?
What is true about Traditional dialects in England?
What percentage of the population of England are native speakers of Standard English?
What percentage of the population of England are native speakers of Standard English?
What is the name of the study that developed many sociolinguistic concepts, conducted by Bill Labov?
What is the name of the study that developed many sociolinguistic concepts, conducted by Bill Labov?
What is characteristic of 'stereotypes' in sociolinguistics?
What is characteristic of 'stereotypes' in sociolinguistics?
What is the main characteristic of the vowel in words such as gate and face in modern dialects?
What is the main characteristic of the vowel in words such as gate and face in modern dialects?
What is the term for the range of contexts in which a variable occurs?
What is the term for the range of contexts in which a variable occurs?
According to Trudgill's dialect division, how many dialect areas are created with only 7 distinctive features?
According to Trudgill's dialect division, how many dialect areas are created with only 7 distinctive features?
What is the characteristic of the BATH vowel in the south of England?
What is the characteristic of the BATH vowel in the south of England?
What is the term for the fact that variation is not random and follows certain rules?
What is the term for the fact that variation is not random and follows certain rules?
What is the characteristic of the pronunciation of R in ARM in non-rhotic areas?
What is the characteristic of the pronunciation of R in ARM in non-rhotic areas?
What is the term for the systematic correlations between the distribution of variants and independent factors?
What is the term for the systematic correlations between the distribution of variants and independent factors?
What is the characteristic of the vowel in BUT in some areas of England?
What is the characteristic of the vowel in BUT in some areas of England?
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Study Notes
Variationist Sociolinguistics
- Explains language variation through linguistic and social context
- Inherent variability in language
- Variation is not absolute, but often a matter of frequency
- Often depends on linguistic context (e.g. rhoticity)
- Language influenced by various components (e.g. group membership influences the way we talk)
Variables and Variants
- Variable: an abstract representation of the source of variation, realized by two or more variants
- Variant: the actual realization of a variable, somewhat analogous to the phonetic realization of a phoneme
- The occurrence of an allophone is somewhat predictable, whereas a variant cannot be predicted
Sociolinguistic Variables
- Example: h-dropping associated with working class
- Example: variable (a) with 2 variants: [ɑ:] and [æ]
- Example: pronunciation of /t/ varies, with a choice of variants: [t] and glottal stop
Language Change and Variation
- Is T-glottalling language change in progress or is it stable variation?
- Peter Trudgill studied this in Norwich in the 1970s
- Sociolinguists uncover systematic correlations between variants and independent factors (linguistic and social constraints)
Pronunciation of Modern Dialects
- Trudgill's dialect division: 16 dialect areas of different feature combinations created with only 7 distinctive features
- Examples: pronunciation of A in GATE, vowel in words such as gate and face; pronunciation of R in ARM, rhotic vs. non-rhotic
Sociolinguistic Constraints
- Envelope of variation: all and only the contexts in which a variable occurs
- No free variation, variation follows certain rules
- The distribution of variants shows certain systematic correlations with independent factors
Martha's Vineyard Study
- Conducted by Bill Labov in 1961
- Pioneering study in sociolinguistics
- Developed concepts such as sociolinguistic variables, markers, indicators, and stereotypes
Markers, Indicators, and Stereotypes
- Markers: linguistic variables that show social stratification, e.g. age, class, sex
- Stereotypes: same as markers, plus overt evaluative comments
- Indicators: linguistic variables that show social class/group stratification, with no style-shifting
Variation and Change in England
- Everybody has an accent (pronunciation)
- Everybody speaks a dialect (+ grammar)
- Standard English is also a dialect
- Variation in England: dialects tend to be spoken in rural areas
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