| What is Sociolinguistics? | Code-switching | Language Maintenance and Shift | Linguistic Varieties | National Language and Language Planning |
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Sociolinguists study the relationship between language and society.
What do sociolinguists study?
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Intersentential code-switching occurs at sentence boundaries. Intrasentential code-switching occurs within sentences.
What is the difference between intersentential and intrasentential code-switching?
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Language shift: when one language displaces another.
Language death: when a language is no longer spoken naturally anywhere in the world.
What is the difference between language shift and language death?
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1) Used in restricted domains/functions
2) Simplified structure 3) Generally assigned low prestige and attract negative attitudes
What are the three identifying characteristics of a pidgin?
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A national language is a language of a political, cultural, and social unit. It is a symbol of national unity.
An official language is one that may be used for government business.
What is the difference between a national language and an official language?
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Participants: students, professor, preservice teachers, current teachers
Setting: university, graduate school Topic: sociolinguistics, research projects Function: teaching implications, learn about sociolinguistics.
There are a number of social factors that influence the way language is used. Using our Language in Society class, identify the participants, setting, topic, and function.
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Participants: mother; sisters; professor
Setting: home; university (classroom) Topic: personal, family; school, grades
What are the domains (participants, setting, and topic) that drive the code-switching in the following example?
(See attached for question.) |
Eg. language of school (has institutional support), contact with other English speakers, "dominant" language that is used in a wide range of contexts.
A Swahili-speaking woman marries an English-speaking man in New Jersey. They decide to speak English with their children. Cite at least three factors behind the couple’s language choice.
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See attached for answer.
Identify the vernacular language(s) and the lingua franca(s) in the following example, and explain 3 differences between them.
(See attached for question.) |
A language can:
1) borrow a word from another language; 2) adapt an old word for new use; or 3) create a new word from the existing vocabulary.
In 1987, Maori became one of New Zealand’s official languages. As its usage expanded into new domains, so did the dilemma of finding lexical items to meet those needs. What are three ways a language can develop its vocabulary?
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Eg. Age, social status, formality, gender
What are three non-linguistic and social factors that are likely to account for the different ways of saying the same thing?
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1) The H and L languages are two varieties of the same language.
2) They are used for distinct functions (complement each other). 3) No one uses the H variety in everyday conversation.
In what three ways are the “high” (H) variety and the “low” (L) variety utilized by people in diglossic language communities?
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See attached for answer.
*Video Daily Double*
Using the three components of ethnolinguistic vitality, predict the likelihood that the endangered Ainu language of Japan will be maintained. (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BcX37genDxM#t=33s) |
See attached for answer.
What are the social characteristics of the following linguistic varieties: vernacular, standard, lingua franca, pidgin, and creole?
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1) Selection: choosing the variety
2) Codification: standardization 3) Elaboration: expanding the functions of the language variety 4) Securing its acceptance by the speech community: increasing its prestige
What steps does a government have to take in planning for a language to become the official national language?
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