1. L23A: Sociology of Language 2006-2007
Lecturer: Emmogene Budhai-Alvaranga
addresses: or
L23A Website:
Please Turn off all cellular phones & pagers
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2. Objectives of the Session
Review of Last Session
Examine the concept ‘speech community’ – definition, scope, problems. etc
Introduction to Variation existing in speech communities
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3. Review: Social Approach to Language
Acquisition should be seen as involving 2 processes:
COGNITIVE PROCESS
– human brain
·   SOCIAL PROCESS
– that only unfolds in social interaction.
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4. Review: Sociolinguistics & Sociology of Language
The Basic Notion:
Language use symbolically represents fundamental dimensions of social behaviour and human interaction.
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5. Review: SOCIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE? Where does this field belong?
2 OPTIONS:
(a) sociology of language –subset of Sociology
sociolinguistics – subset of Linguistics
(b) sociolinguistics – 2 orientations:
Macro-sociolinguistics
Micro-sociolinguistics
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6. Macro – (examines broad concerns)
Macro researches:
- investigate language attitudes among large population on a national level
- the status of languages/language varieties
- language contact situations, origin of pidgins and Creoles
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7. Micro-Sociolinguistics
detailed investigation of specific linguistic items or individual differences in conversation
Micro researches: An example
- how we organize our social relationship within a particular society
(a) addressing a person
  (b) Telling a joke, telling a story
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8. The Speech Community Why is it important?
Why is it important?
How would you define the “speech community”?
What is the “scope”?
Would the university constitute a speech community?
On what basis??
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9. Definitions given by some linguists:–
(a) Chomsky (1965)
“a group sharing the same communicative competence”
(b) Lyons (1970)
“all people who use a given language”
(c) Labov (1972)
“people who share a set of linguistic norms”
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10. Labov’s definition – is it adequate?
Case Study given by Labov:
English speakers in New York all share common views about language
eg. The post vocalic [r] is prestigious:
[garbid] vs. [gaabid]
[hart] vs. [haat]
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11. Labov’s definition – problems?
Problem 1: Speakers of the same language who do not share norms would be excluded.
Problem 2: speakers of the same language may share different set of norms.
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12. Speakers in Jamaica – do we share same set of norms?
‘think’ & ‘though’
Which form is prestigious?
[] & []
vs.
[t] and [d]
(2) ‘ing’ in Jamaica
Which form is prestigious?
running:
[]
vs.
[nn]
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13. In Jamaica – Which form is prestigious?
‘education’
beginning:
[]
vs.
[]
‘education’
end:
[n]
vs.
[n]
[ n]
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14. Main Problems with Group Assignments:
  Even when linguistic criteria assign them to groups, people may have different views on their groupings
Speakers see themselves as one group even if they do not speak the same language
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15. People define their group membership with social factors:
Class
Age
Ethnicity
Race
Gender
Religion
Politics
History
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16. Hymes (1974) and Gumperz (1971) both had shared features:
1.  Common locale is shared
2.   a high level of interaction among group members 
3.   more interaction among group members than non-members
4. common social and linguistic norms
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