1. Variation in English Michael Hall
LCS D57 Week 1
Variation in English
Michael Hall
08/11/2018

2. Today’s session Warmer Introduction to the module
Introduction to the topic: Variation
About you: idiolects
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3. 1 What does this sign tell us?

4. 2 Introduction to the module
Aims
Content
Approach
What you should do
Assessment
LearningSpace
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5. Aims (“Module outcomes”)
Discuss aspects of language, society and culture
Analyse features of non-standard English
Interpret and produce IPA transcriptions of a range of accents
Explain language change processes and phenomena in a social perspective
Compare different genres and mediums of written and spoken English
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6. But also … Strengthening of your existing skills
Development of new skills
Enhanced sensitivity to language
Enhanced understanding of language as an interface between you and the world
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7. Content
Link to other modules: builds on C53 but both rewritten. Different teachers/approaches
Factors which influence the language we use
How language varies according to these factors
Languages in contact, World Englishes
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8. Approach
starting from you, near to far, specific to general, concrete to abstract, practical to theoretical, individual to society
Bloom’s taxonomy: moving up the pyramid
Phonetics:
[transcription]
individual sound symbols
Wells’ lexical sets
“sounds like”: I pronounce grass with the vowel of cat
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9. Bloom’s taxonomy (2001)
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10. What you should do Come to class Engage: think, react, discuss Read
Reading as triangulation: Don’t trust anybody
Levels of reading: Wikipedia, textbook, readings (in selections), journal articles
Why you should read: fitness, impact on academic writing skills
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11. Assessment 2 assignments Essay: 2 x 1250 words Case study: 2500 words
Available on LS
Submission through Turnitin
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12. LearningSpace Storage of key information: module handbook
Forum: posting of relevant messages – make sure you are receiving them
Session-related material
Assessment
Check out the Marjon App (timetable)
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13. 3 Idiolect
from idio- "one's own, personal" + second element abstracted from dialect
My story
Identify the different features of speech for which Wardaugh (2010:4) [handout] provides examples.
Think about your own idiolect: features? Examples? Influences? Differences from standard? Variation?
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14. 4 Introduction to Variation
Difference between variation and change?
Synchronic (variation)
Diachronic (change)
Overlap/continuity between space and time
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15. Issues to consider Variation within a language / speech community
Variation within an individual
How and why variation occurs
How and why speakers alternate between different language varieties or different forms within a particular variety (-> codes and switching).
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16. Factors affecting variation between individuals?
Geography
Social class
Gender
Age
Ethnicity
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17. Types of variation Pronunciation (= accent) Vocabulary Grammar
P + V + G = Dialect
Avoiding the judgements implicit in “dialect” -> variety

18. Languages, Dialects and Varieties
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19. Language and nation Rise of the nation state, e.g. 19th century Europe
Italy 1861, Germany 1871
20th century decolonisation
Invention of new entities
Language as a symbol of the nation state

21. National unity = one language?
One language two nations: Germany & Austria
One nation two languages: Belgium
One big language, other small languages: UK, France, Spain
One colonial language, many other local and regional languages: French-speaking and English-speaking Africa, Spanish-speaking Latin America

22. Mutual intelligibility
Not an objectively determined fact – and doesn’t always work in both directions (cf Portuguese & Spanish, or Dutch & English)
Dialect continuum: Bavarian German (or Swiss German) may be harder for some Germans to understand than some Dutch dialects
Examples of mutually intelligible languages
Examples of mutually unintelligible dialects
Wardaugh & Fuller (2015: 29-32)

23. Dialect continuum v Language boundary

25. Languages of Spain sólo personal autorizado Só o persoal autorizado
només personal autoritzat
baimendutako langileek bakarrik

26. kun autoriseret personale (Dk)
autorisert personell (No)
endast behörig personal (Se)
Compare the sound of Swedish, Norwegian & Danish:

27. What if people don’t want to understand each other?
केवल अधिकृत कर्मियों को
مجاز اہلکار صرف
Hindi-Urdu: script & vocabulary
“Large religious and political differences make much of small linguistic differences” (W&F 2015: 30)

28. “Serbo-Croat” samo ovlašteno osoblje (Hr) једино овлашћена лица (Sr)
See also Czech and Slovak
But compare Chinese: “strong tradition of political, social and cultural unity” (Wardaugh & Fuller 2015: 32)
只有授权人员
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29. FURTHER READING: Wardaugh (2010) Introduction & Ch 2; Meyerhoff (2011) Ch 2
FOR NEXT WEEK: Read Labov, W (1972) The Social Stratification of (r) in New York City Department Stores. In Coupland R & A Jaworski (2009) pp 49-59, or downloadable as a pdf (see link on LS).
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