Sociolinguistics Predmetni nastavnik: doc. dr Valentina Bosković Markovic e-mail: voskobic@sinergija.edu.ba

Definition A discipline born in the 60s Has interdisciplinary approach A study of social aspects of language usage Dynamic study which examines all aspects of social life and language usage

Sociolinguistics is concerned with language as a ‘social and cultural phenomenon’ (Trudgill, 1974) It engages with contemporary social questions of culture, ethnicity, gender, identity, ageing, and migration

Saussure- language is independent of social influences Chomsky- linguistic competence Language as a ‘social and cultural phenomenon’ (Trudgill, 1974) Studies language in its social context and derives explanatory principles from it. By knowing about the language, we can learn something about a social reality and vice versa.

Sociolinguistic terms Linguistic variety- any language which has its speakers Dialect- different forms of varieties Idiolect- individual's distinctive and unique use of language, including speech Ethnography of communication- various groups of people have different speaking habits Language ideology- what we believe in is reflected in our speech Sociolect- the way of speech affected by social status Jargon- similar to sociolect, but understood only by a certain group of speakers Lingua franca- the overall accepted language

Famous sociolinguists Dell Hymes (The Ethnography of Communication, 1964, Language in Culture and Society, 1964) Labov- the study of Martha’s Vineyard Fairclough (Language and Power, 1989) Tannen (Gender and Discourse, 1994)

Examples of sociolinguistics One of the core concepts of Sociolinguistics is that of a Sociolect, the language of a social group or class. A historically interesting sociolect is Cant, or, as you could call it, the language of thieves.

Examples of sociolinguistics In England, people of lower socioeconomic status tend to drop certain letters from the beginning of sounds. For instance, they may say 'I'm going to my 'ouse' instead of 'I'm going to my house.' This is another example of how social class affects language variation.

Examples of sociolinguistics A study by Roger Brown and Marguerite Ford explored the use of surnames within relationships. In their work, they assert that the use of terms of address vary depending on the relationship between the speakers. For example, when people know each other very well and feel equal to one another, they use each other's first names.

Examples of sociolinguistics Vocabulary sometimes varies by region. The expression ‘lost bread’ to refer to French toast is a translation of French ‘pain perdu’, part of the vocabulary of southern Louisiana.

Examples of sociolinguistics Grammatical constructions also vary. In the Midland region of the United States, speakers use a construction called positive anymore, as in “Anymore you see round bales of hay in the fields.” In other regions, speakers would say, “Nowadays you see round bales of hay in the field.”

Examples of sociolinguistics Another variation that is widespread in spoken American English is the double negative, as in “We don’t want no more construction on this road.” Such sentences are not Standard American English

Examples of sociolinguistics Anthropologists Carol and Melvin Ember, ‘Cultural Anthropology’: a study in which children from what are deemed higher classes tend to enunciate their words, specifically the ends of words, more than children from what are deemed lower classes. For instance, a child from an upper-class family will tend to say 'We are talking' instead of 'We are talkin'.'