LINGUISTICS

Present to mam Huma Noor

SOCIOLINGUISTICS
Content

 Introduction of Sociolinguistics
 The Standard language
 Accent, Dialectology,
 Isoglosses and Dialect boundaries
 Regional dialect, social dialects
 Speech style and style-shifting, prestige
 Speech accommodation, Register and Jargon, slang,
social barriers and Vernacular Language
 Sociolinguistics

Introduction
“The study of language and society”.
Sociolinguistics consists of two words ”socio” means “society” and
”linguistics” means “scientific study of language.”

☆ Sociolinguistics is the study of language in its social context. It is

the study of the effect of any or all aspects of society on the way
language is used. It includes cultural norms, expectations, and context.
 William Labov Defines the
Sociolinguistics

 According to “William Labov” {who is considered as the father

of sociolinguistics}
 sociolinguistics is:
“The study of how language use varies based on social factors like
gender, ethnicity, and class”.
 The term “ sociolinguistics” was first developed in the 19th
century and appeared in 1960. It was introduced by William
Labov in the U.S.A and by the Basil in U.K.
 The Standard Language

In sociolinguistics,
“ A standard language is a variety of language that is considered the most
prestigious and dominant in a community”.
☆ It is also a variety of languages that are used by the government, media, school
and for international communication.
It is the language which is considered as the most correct and widely used.
For example:-
English: has different standard varieties in the U.K. And U.S. , such as American
English, Australian English.
Characteristics of standard
language

1- Codification
• The standard variety is usually codified in dictionaries, grammar
books, and style guides. This codification helps define its rules and
norms, such as spelling, pronunciation, and grammar.
2- Prestige
• The standard language is often considered the “prestige variety” of a
language. It is associated with education, power, and socioeconomic
status.
3- Neutrality
• Although perceived as neutral or “unmarked,” the standard language
often reflects the norms of a dominant social or ethnic group within a
society, excluding other varieties or dialects.
Accent

A distinctive way of pronouncing of language, especially one

associated with a particular country, area or social class.
Broadly stated, your accent is the way you sound when you
speak.
Example:
Canada: pronouncing “aboot” instead of “about”
Dialectology

Dialectology
The systematic study of dialects.
What is dialect?
A regional variety of language distinguished by features of
vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and
constituting together with them a single language.
>> According to dialectology, “whose speaker can understand each other, are
different dialects of same language; and whose speakers cannot usually understand
each other, are different languages” (Yule)
Example
US English speakers can understand British English and vice versa. But
English speakers can hardly understand Chinese and vice versa.
Isoglosses

Isoglosses
An isogloss is a geographical boundary line marking the area in which
a distinctive linguistic feature commonly occurs. Also known as
Heterogloss.
In other words, A line on map separating two areas in which a particular
linguistic feature is significantly different used in the study of dialect.
Example
Bucket/pail
Paper bag/paper sack
Dialect boundaries

Dialect boundaries
“A line representing a set of isogloss,
used to separate one dialect area from
another”.
In example Let’s we have examples from upper
Midwest of USA from Northern & Midland Dialect.
Types of Dialect

Regional dialect SOCIAL DIALECT

Social Dialect is a variety of language that

A variety of language that is spoken in a reflects social variation in language use,
certain geographical area is called according to certain factors related to the
“regional dialect”. social group of the speaker such as
Example education, occupation, income level etc.
American English FACTORS AFFECTING SOCIAL DIALECT
British English ● Social class ● Profession
● Age
● Religion ● Caste
● Education ● Gender
Social Dialect

 William Stewart introduced three terms and concepts for Creole

languages, and the terms introduced by him can also be used to
describe social dialects in general.

Basilect

Mesolect

Acrolect
 Basilect, Mesolect, Acrolect

 Basilect
It is a social dialect spoken by uneducated or less educated people who have
limited access to formal education or social mobility.
 Mesolect
It’s a social dialect spoken by educated people often with some formal education
or social mobility who have acquired some features of the standard language
but still retain elements of the non-standard dialect.
 Acrolect
It is spoken by elite or highly educated persons often with advanced degrees or
high social status who have mastered the standard language and use it as their
primary means of communication.
Basilect is the dialect of Low class

Mesolect is the dialect of Middle class

Acrolect is the dialect of elite and

highly educated
Speech Style & Style Shifting

Speech Style
•Speech style is a way of speaking that is either formal/careful or
informal/casual.
Speech style” refers to the way a speaker chooses to use
language depending on the social context, including their
vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and intonation.
>> The basics speech style:
 Formal style
 Informal style
Formal & Informal Speech Style

• The most basic distinction in speech style is between formal uses and informal
uses.
● Formal speech refers to a style of language characterized by its adherence to
specific rules and structures.
● Informal speech refers to a style of language characterized by its relaxed and
casual nature.
● In formal speech (careful style) we pay more attention to what we are saying
While in informal speech (casual style) we pay less attention to what we are
saying.
Style Shifting

A change from one speech style to another

speech style by an individual is known as style
shifting.
Styles shifting is the changing speech style from
formal to informal or vice versa.
Repetition Increases Formality
• Labov studied when he asked a salesperson at first, the
reply tended to be casual but when he said, “Excuse me?,”
in order to show that he did not understand, the reply of
salesperson tended to be clearer and more formal.
Middle Class Shifting Their Style
• Findings from other studies confirmed that the middle-
class speakers are much more likely to shift their style of
speaking significantly towards upper Channel middle class
when they are using careful speech style.
Prestige

●Prestige is the level of regard normally accorded a specific language or dialect

within a speech community, relative to other languages or dialects

●As other studies have confirmed, when speakers in a middle-status group try
to use a prestige form associated with a higher-status group in a formal
situation, they have a tendency to overuse the form.

●This pattern has also been observed in studies of “hypercorrection.”

Overt Prestige

• When certain individuals change their speech in the direction of a

form that is more frequent in the speech of those Linguistics
perceived to have higher social status, we are dealing with
Bilingual Linguistics Channel overt prestige, or status that is
generally recognized as "better" or more positively valued in the
larger community.
Covert Prestige

● The status of a speech style or feature as having positive value, but which is
“hidden” or not valued similarly among the larger community, in contrast to
overt prestige.

● Many lower-working-class speakers do not shift their style from casual to

formal as radically as lower-middle-class speakers.

● The answer may be that they value the features that mark them as members
of their own social group.
 Speech Accommodation

Speech Accommodation
Speech accommodation refers to the way individuals language, speech patterns
or communication style to fit the listener or social context.

Characteristics:
Accent
Vocabulary choice
Speech rate or rhythm
Convergence
Divergence
Register

Register
A register is a conventional way of using language that is appropriate in a
specific context, which may be identified as situational, occupational or topical.
Examples
We can recognize specific features that occur in:
1) The religious register ( We shall be blessed by Him in time of tribulation)
2) The legal register ( The plaintiff is ready to take the witness)
3) The linguistics register( In this dialect there are fewer inflectional suffixes)
Jargon

Jargon
Jargon is certain language that is usually used by a group of
society. Jargon is a language variety that contains a set of
unique vocabulary that is used by the people that have same
class or same position in a certain area for instance in a
working area.
Examples of Jargon
1)I need a script to pick up the medicine.
2)Your objection is overruled.
Slang

Slang
Slang consists of words, expressions and meanings that
are informal and are used by people who know each
other or who have same interests
For example:
Cool
I gonna
Bucks
Social Barriers

Social Barriers
Social Barriers refer to the factors that can hinder communication
between individuals or groups from different cultural or social
backgrounds.
Common Social Barriers:
1)Language
2) Cultural differences
3)Lack of communication skills
 Vernacular Language

Vernacular Language
Vernacular language is the native language or dialect spoken by a group of
people in a specific area or culture. It’s the language people use in everyday
communication, and it’s shaped by word choice, grammar, punctuation, and
more.
For example
African American Vernacular English is a vernacular language specific to the
African American community in the United states
 CONCLUSIO
N
“sociolinguistics explores how language is
influenced by social factors like class,
gender, and ethnicity. It examines the
connection between language and society,
revealing how language reflects social
identities, power structures, and cultural
norms. Through this, sociolinguistics
enhances our understanding of linguistic
diversity and social dynamics.”
 Any
Question ?

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