17-05-23 (ELT 5211)

Course Code:
(ELT- 5211)
Course Taught By
Professor Abdul Quyum Nizami
B.A (Hons) & M.A in English, BCS (Education)

Professor & Head, Department of English
Cumilla Victoria Govt. College (PLR)
Topic to be discussed
Language and Class
Introduction
One of these things is class, and this chapter explores the connection between
a person’s social class and the linguistic variety that they use: in other words,
the way in which their social background affects the way they speak.
The chapter begins by considering accent and dialect and the relationship
between regional and social variation and social position. We then highlight
some of the issues involved in defining social class, before considering some
of the methods that have been used by sociolinguists to determine the social
class of different groups of people in their studies of linguistic variation. The
chapter concludes by discussing the findings of these studies and what they
suggest about the influences of social class on linguistic behaviour.
Linguistic variation and social class
Accent and dialect: regional and social variation
All speakers have both an accent and a dialect. The term ‘accent’ refers
to pronunciation. To speak with a regional accent, for instance, is to
pronounce your words in a manner associated with a certain
geographical area. For example, in the south-east of England the vowel
sound in the word bath would usually be pronounced ‘ahh’ like the ‘a’ in
car, but in most parts of the north of England it would sound like the ‘a’
in cat. In many of the southern states of America, bath would be
pronounced with a vowel sound that is more like the second syllable of
player (i.e. ‘bay-uth’).
To be continued….
‘Dialect’, on the other hand, refers to grammar and vocabulary (or lexis).
For example, according to which region of Britain or the United States you come
from, you might use a sentence such as I didn’t do nothing as opposed to I didn’t
do anything, or I might could do it instead of I might be able to do it. These are
grammatical variations. In terms of vocabulary, speakers in certain regions of
Britain might use the word bairn as opposed to child, while American speakers of
English are likely to use diaper where a British speaker would use nappy
To be continued….
•In spoken language, a dialect is often associated with a particular
accent, so a speaker who uses a regional dialect will also be more than
likely to have the corresponding regional accent. This does not always
work the other way around though. While it is rare for someone who
uses regional grammar and vocabulary to do so without a regional
accent, it is very common for a speaker to have a regional accent but use
grammar and lexis that are not associated with a particular geographical
area, as not all dialects and accents are regional.
To be continued….
Both Britain and the United States have standard varieties of English and these varieties are also
dialects, albeit prestigious ones. As prestigious dialects they are social rather than regional; that is
they are preferred by particular (usually higher) social groups, and in particular (usually more
formal) social situations.
Standard English is often equated with ‘correct English’ and in Britain is also known by terms which
reflect its status, such as ‘Queen’s English’ or ‘BBC English’. (See Chapter 10 for a discussion of
standard English.)
•Although there is a standard dialect, there is not a standard pronunciation of English in the UK.
There are, however prestige norms, the most prestigious accent being known as RP (Received
Pronunciation) which, like standard English, has a social rather than regional distribution. Probably
the most widely recognised prestige form of pronunciation in Britain is that associated with formal
broadcasting, such as the BBC national news. In the United States it is speakers from the Midwest
who provide a widely recognised norm.
To be
continued….
Accent and
dialect: a
clue to
social
information
To be
continued….
To be continued….
Shakespeare is not the only famous writer to have used language to

indicate social class. For example, one of the central themes of many of
Charles Dickens’s novels is that of society and the social class divisions
that separate the rich from the poor. Many of Dickens’s characters are
portrayed as archetypal members of either the rich and privileged classes
or the poor, working classes. Their membership of one or other of these
groups is usually reflected in the way they speak.
Does social class really affect language?
•We have seen that we have expectations that people in certain social positions will speak in certain
ways, but is it the case that social class affects language in reality, not just in our expectations or in
literature?
•
•In other words, is it really true that the higher a person is on the social scale, the more their speech
will reflect prestige norms?
•
•Well, it seems that the answer to this is ‘yes’. Those of you who live in Britain may have observed
that people who belong to the highest social classes tend not to have a particularly ‘broad’ regional
accent and dialect, or, at least, they don’t have a variety that can be easily identified as belonging to a
particular region. Standard linguistic forms are used throughout Britain, with little variation. As we
move further down the social scale, we find greater regional variation. This situation is illustrated by
the two ‘cone’ diagrams below. Figure 8.1 represents social and regional variation in dialects
(grammar and lexis only), while Figure 8.2 represents social and regional variation in accents
(pronunciation). Both diagrams emphasize the point that it is impossible to separate regional and
social variation: they are two sides of the same coin.
Figure 8.1
Figure 8.2
To be continued….
•It is important to point out that these diagrams are representative of the
situation in Britain only: in other countries where English is spoken, it is more
likely that people who belong to the higher social classes will speak with at least
a regional accent. It is also important to bear in mind that, even with reference
to Britain, these two diagrams are generalized representations of regional and
social variation, and that different combinations of social class and linguistic
variety are possible. For example, it is entirely possible for a person from any
other position on the social scale to speak standard English or use RP and they
may well do so on appropriate occasions (see also Chapters 10 and 11). It is also
possible to speak standard English without having an RP accent. Nevertheless,
these two diagrams give a useful illustration of the way the relationship between
prestige, social class and linguistic variety works in Britain.
For the
further
study…..
Please go through the
chapter 8
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
Thanks for your patience,
active participation and
sincere co-operation

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Professor Abdul Quyum Nizami

B.A (Hons) & M.A in English, BCS (Education)

Shakespeare is not the only famous writer to have used language to

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