Lecture: Spoken Language and Identity

Question 1

What 2 ways can language be looked at?

Answer 1

From the level of individuals or from the level of social groups

Question 2

Define Intra-speaker variation

Answer 2

The individuals language when they are by themselves

Question 3

Define Inter-speaker variation

Answer 3

The way people in a social group speak with each other

Question 4

Define Dialect

Answer 4

Differences in Grammar, Words and Pronunciation

Question 5

Define Accent

Answer 5

Differences in Pronunciation

Question 6

How many levels of Dialect Variation are there?

Answer 6

3

Question 7

What is the First Level of Dialect Variation?

Answer 7

The level of Syntax (Grammar)

Question 8

What is the Second Level of Dialect Variation?

Answer 8

The level of Lexis and Semantics

Question 9

What is the Third Level of Dialect Variation?

Answer 9

The level of Phonology

Question 10

Why is Phonology observed more than Grammar in Dialect Variation research?

Answer 10

Because it is easier to distinguish phonological variants compared to non-standard Grammar.

Question 11

What is a common phonological variation in the UK?

Answer 11

The “ah” sound to an “a” sound.

Question 12

Give an example of the “ah” phoneme to the “a” phoneme.

Answer 12

Pronouncing “Bath” with a phonetic a or saying “Bahth”

Question 13

Why might some people believe they do not have an accent?

Answer 13

Because they are surrounded by other people who speak in the same way as them

Question 14

What is the accent with the highest prestige in Britain?

Answer 14

Received Pronunciation

Question 15

What are all pronunciations in the Oxford Dictionary based on?

Answer 15

Received Pronunciation

Question 16

Why might some people who have an RP accent believe they do not have an accent?

Answer 16

Because they may only be surrounded by other people in their lives who also speak RP only.

Question 17

Define Diglossia

Answer 17

When there are 2 different dialects in a society with two very different purposes

Question 18

Define Triglossia

Answer 18

When there are 3 different dialects in a society with three very different purposes

Question 19

Who created the Accent Triangle?

Answer 19

Trudgill

Question 20

What does the accent triangle show?

Answer 20

It shows how through social variation an accent either becomes prestigious or associated with lower social class individuals

Question 21

Define Covert Prestige

Answer 21

When a way of speaking has more prestige in a specific social group compared to society overall

Question 22

Define Overt Prestige

Answer 22

When the most socially prestigious way of speaking is the one you also accept is the best way to speak

Question 23

Define Indexicality

Answer 23

The process of how particular features of language like pronunciations become attatched to a social meaning

Question 24

How does a speech feature gain a social meaning?

Answer 24

Associated with a variety of speaking and a social practice and over time, a perception of certain pronunciations is made.

Question 25

What can style-switching also be known as?

Answer 25

Code-Switching

Question 26

Define style-switching

Answer 26

Switching between different ways of speaking in the same language

Question 27

Define what code-switching usually means

Answer 27

Switching between overall languages

Question 28

What should you usually mean when saying “style-switching”?

Answer 28

Switching between different ways of speaking in the same language

Question 29

What should you usually mean when saying “code-switching”?

Answer 29

Switching between overall languages