Chapter 19 - Social variation in language

Question 1

Sociolinguistics

Answer 1

Studies the relationship between language and society.

Question 2

Social dialect (sociolect)

Answer 2

Dialects are different in different social classes.

Question 3

Variable (social and linquistic)

Answer 3

Social variable is class. Linguistic variable is pronunciation or word.

Question 4

Idiolect

Answer 4

A personal dialect. (because of unique circumstances)

Question 5

Social marker

Answer 5

A feature that occurs frequently in your speech (or not) that marks you as a member of a particular social group (not always aware of it).

Question 6

Prestige (overt and covert)

Answer 6

Overt prestige is when a person changes its speech in the direction of a form that is more frequent among those perceived to have higher status. Covert prestige is when a person does not style-shift (for instance lower class and group solidarity) or young middle class who speaks like lower-status groups.

Question 7

Speech style

Answer 7

Most basic distinction is between formal and informal use “careful style” and “casual style”.

Question 8

Covergence

Answer 8

Adopt speech style to reduce social distance (for instance when boy speaks to friend’s mother compared to with his friend).

Question 9

Divergence

Answer 9

Adopt speech style to reduce social distance (for instance when boy speaks to friend’s mother compared to with his friend).

Question 10

register

Answer 10

A way of using language that is appropriate in a specific context (situational, occupational, topical).

Question 11

Jargon

Answer 11

: Special technical vocabulary associated with specific area of work or interest.

Question 12

Speech accomodation

Answer 12

Our ability to modify our speech style toward or away from the perceived style of the person we are talking to.

Question 13

Slang

Answer 13

Used within groups of young people or groups with special interests. Words that are used instead of more everyday terms. Changes quickly due to fashion

Question 14

Taboo terms

Answer 14

Words people avoid due to religion, politeness or prohibited behavior. Often starred in text.

Question 15

African American Vernacular English AAVE

Answer 15

A variety used by many black Americans. Prestige among popular music. Considered illogical or sloppy (like the use of double negatives, which is used in other languages so maybe not sloppy). Absence of are and is, but that is used in other languages as well (he busy). Habitual be.

Question 16

Vernacular

Answer 16

a kind of social dialect, typically spoken by a lower-status-group