Diversity - Age

Question 1

Eckert’s (1998) theory:

Answer 1

3 ages:
chronological age - years since birth
biological age - physical maturity
social age - linked to life events such as childbirth/marriage

Question 2

Cheshire (1987) theory:

Answer 2

‘adults develop their language in response to life events that affect the social relations and attitudes of individuals’

Question 3

Bigham (2012) theory:

Answer 3

‘important life events are more likely to occur post-18, an age termed as an emerging adult’

Question 4

Gary Ives (2012) theory:

Answer 4

asked 63 17 year olds from a West Yorkshire secondary school if they thought age changed their language.
100% said yes.
students used to use words like ‘kissy-catch’ ‘tig’ and ‘kerby’ and now commonly use an informal register/taboo language

Question 5

Eckert (2003) theory:

Answer 5

‘linguistic change is far more common in teenagers, for example the coining of new lexical terms’

Question 6

Strenstrom’s theory:

Answer 6

key features in teenage talk:
irregular turn taking
overlaps
indistinct articulation
work-shortenings
taboo language
slang words

Question 7

features of teen speak:

Answer 7

taboo language
regional dialect
slang
informal register

Question 8

de Klerk‘s theory;

Answer 8

young people have the freedom to ‘challenge linguistic norms’

they seek to ‘establish new identities’ to be seen as ‘modern… cool, fashionable and up to date’