Introduction to Introduction to SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics

Assoc. Prof. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dr. MardziahMardziah Hayati Abdullah Hayati Abdullah

mardziah@fbmk.upm.edu.my mardziah@fbmk.upm.edu.my 03-8946871803-89468718

Recommended reference Recommended reference textstexts

Module – being updatedModule – being updated Bernard Spolsky (2001). Bernard Spolsky (2001). Sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics.

22ndnd ed. ed. London: Longman.London: Longman. Holmes, J. (2001). Holmes, J. (2001). An Introduction to An Introduction to

Sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics. 22ndnd ed. ed. London: London: Longman.Longman.

Wardhaugh, R. (1998). Wardhaugh, R. (1998). An Introduction An Introduction to Linguistics.to Linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. Oxford: Blackwell.

Course EvaluationCourse Evaluation

Assignment (30%)Assignment (30%) Mid-semester test (30%) Mid-semester test (30%)

•Sections /Units 1 - 2 of module onlySections /Units 1 - 2 of module only

Final Exam (40%)Final Exam (40%)•Focus on Units 3 – 5 of moduleFocus on Units 3 – 5 of module

•Possibly some content from Units 1 - 2 Possibly some content from Units 1 - 2

Origins of Origins of SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics

Key phases in linguistic study Key phases in linguistic study

Key phases in linguistic Key phases in linguistic study (1)study (1)

c. 500 B.Cc. 500 B.C.: in India, Panini and followers .: in India, Panini and followers produced oral treatises on phonetics and produced oral treatises on phonetics and language structure. Later, independent language structure. Later, independent traditions of language study develop in traditions of language study develop in Europe.Europe.

17861786: founding of modern linguistics – Sir : founding of modern linguistics – Sir William Jones gives seminal speech on William Jones gives seminal speech on relations between Sanskrit, Greek, Latin relations between Sanskrit, Greek, Latin and other languages. Principles of and other languages. Principles of language comparison and classification language comparison and classification emerge.emerge.

Key phases in linguistic Key phases in linguistic study (2)study (2)

Early 20Early 20thth century century: : StructuralismStructuralism predominates in linguistics. Structuralists predominates in linguistics. Structuralists like Saussure in Europe and Bloomfield in like Saussure in Europe and Bloomfield in the U.S.A. were concerned with internal the U.S.A. were concerned with internal systems of language rather than with systems of language rather than with historical comparisons. historical comparisons.

19571957: : Generative linguistics Generative linguistics is founded is founded with publication of Noam Chomsky’s with publication of Noam Chomsky’s Syntactic Structures. Syntactic Structures. Linguistics moves to Linguistics moves to psycho-biological psycho-biological stage, with interest in the stage, with interest in the way children acquire languages on the way children acquire languages on the basis of a universal grammar.basis of a universal grammar.

Reaction to Reaction to Structuralism Structuralism

Scholars’ views: Scholars’ views: • Chomsky’s approach (idealised, Chomsky’s approach (idealised,

psycholinguistic competence) - psycholinguistic competence) - asocial and ahistorical view of asocial and ahistorical view of languagelanguage

• abstracting language from contexts abstracting language from contexts of use is limitingof use is limiting

Break between Chomsky’s Break between Chomsky’s approach and social approachapproach and social approach

Social and non-social Social and non-social approachesapproaches

Non-social: Non-social: Chomskyian framework Chomskyian framework focuses on structures that can be focuses on structures that can be generated by language and by what generated by language and by what meansmeans

Social: Social: Tries to account for what can Tries to account for what can be said in a language, by whom, to be said in a language, by whom, to whom, in whose presence, when and whom, in whose presence, when and where, in what manner and under where, in what manner and under what social circumstances (Fishman, what social circumstances (Fishman, 1971; Hymes, 1971; 1971; Hymes, 1971;

Saville-Troike, 1982). Saville-Troike, 1982).

Activity

An individual can use language in a variety of ways and for different purposes. For each utterance on the following slides, discuss:

In what context might a speaker say it? What might be the nature of the relationship

between speaker and listener?In what context might it be inappropriate to

say it?

Utterances (1)In what context might a speaker say it? What might be the nature of the relationship between

speaker and listener?In what context might it be inappropriate to say it?

Do you think it’s cold in here?The airport, as fast as you can.I do.I leave my house to my son George.Do you love me?How strange!Can we have some silence at the back?

Utterances (2)In what context might a speaker say it? What might be the nature of the relationship between

speaker and listener?In what context might it be inappropriate to say it?

What a beautiful dress!Cheers!Keep to the right please.Damn!That’s not the way lah.You want or not?Eh, hurry up!

Think

How did you know when to use or not use the utterances you just discussed?

SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics

Studies the relationship Studies the relationship between language and society between language and society

Term first used by Haver Term first used by Haver Currie in 1952Currie in 1952

Possible relationships Possible relationships betweenbetween

language and societylanguage and society Social structure may influence Social structure may influence

/determine linguistic structure and/or /determine linguistic structure and/or behaviour.behaviour.

Linguistic structure and/or behaviour Linguistic structure and/or behaviour may influence /determine social may influence /determine social structure. structure.

The influence between language and The influence between language and culture is bi-directional.culture is bi-directional.

There is no relationship between There is no relationship between language and society. language and society.

Think

The Inuit Indians of Alaska have a well-developed vocabulary for types of snow. A native of Malaysia does not. Does an Inuit ‘see’ a snowscape differently from a Malaysian visiting the cold north for the first time?

Sociolinguistic studySociolinguistic study

Chambers (1995): At the heart of Chambers (1995): At the heart of sociolinguistics is sociolinguistics is the correlation of the correlation of independent linguistic variables independent linguistic variables with independent social variables:with independent social variables:

•Domains (Joshua Fishman) Domains (Joshua Fishman) •FormalityFormality•Social statusSocial status•Social distanceSocial distance•Function / purposeFunction / purpose•Gender, age, etc.Gender, age, etc.

Holmes (1992): Sociolinguist’s Holmes (1992): Sociolinguist’s aim is to move towards a theory aim is to move towards a theory which provides a motivated which provides a motivated account of the way language is account of the way language is used in a community, and the used in a community, and the choices people makechoices people make when they when they use languageuse language. .

Sociology of language Sociology of language

&&SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics

Sociology of language: Sociology of language:

macro-sociolinguisticsmacro-sociolinguistics

Sociolinguistics: Sociolinguistics:

micro-sociolinguisticsmicro-sociolinguistics

Sociology of language: Sociology of language:

Macro-linguisticsMacro-linguistics

Studies language and society in order Studies language and society in order to find out as much as we can about to find out as much as we can about what kind of thing language is what kind of thing language is

Investigates what societies Investigates what societies dodo with with their languages, i.e. attitudes and their languages, i.e. attitudes and attachments that account for the attachments that account for the functional distribution of speech forms functional distribution of speech forms in society, language shift, maintenance, in society, language shift, maintenance, and replacement, the delimitation and and replacement, the delimitation and interaction of speech communities.interaction of speech communities.

Macro-linguistics:Macro-linguistics: Ways With WordsWays With Words

Ethnographic study by Heath Ethnographic study by Heath (1983): differences in the oral (1983): differences in the oral and written language practices and written language practices of two communitiesof two communities

Sociolinguistics: Sociolinguistics: Micro-linguisticsMicro-linguistics

Studies what kind of thing language Studies what kind of thing language is in order to find out as much as we is in order to find out as much as we can about language and society can about language and society

Investigates how social structure Investigates how social structure influences the way people talk, and influences the way people talk, and how language varieties and patterns how language varieties and patterns of use correlate with social attitudes of use correlate with social attitudes such as class, sex, and age.such as class, sex, and age.

Micro-sociolinguistics:Micro-sociolinguistics: Martha’s Vineyard studyMartha’s Vineyard study

LabovLabov•Variation in mainland /ai/ and island-Variation in mainland /ai/ and island-

centred /centred /ӘӘi/ ini/ in night, right, kind night, right, kind

•The younger the age of the speaker, The younger the age of the speaker, the more the speaker used the the more the speaker used the centralised varietycentralised variety

•Youngest speakers (14 – 20) used Youngest speakers (14 – 20) used mainland varietymainland variety

ASSIGNMENTASSIGNMENT(30% of total grade)(30% of total grade)

Write a paper to address three Write a paper to address three tasks.tasks.

1.1. Research and explain what is meant by Research and explain what is meant by domains of domains of language uselanguage use as proposed by Joshua Fishmanas proposed by Joshua Fishman. . Give Give examples of domains that are relevant to the examples of domains that are relevant to the Malaysian context.Malaysian context.

2.2. Explain the difference between (i) Explain the difference between (i) various languagesvarious languages and (ii) and (ii) varieties of a language. varieties of a language. Provide examples Provide examples from the Malaysian context. Consider the English from the Malaysian context. Consider the English language in your explanation and examples. language in your explanation and examples.

3.3. Explain how Explain how domainsdomains determine the language(s), or determine the language(s), or varieties of a language, that a bilingual or varieties of a language, that a bilingual or multilingual speaker might use. Provide examples multilingual speaker might use. Provide examples from the Malaysian context. (You do not have to from the Malaysian context. (You do not have to include the English language for this part of the include the English language for this part of the assignment.)assignment.)

•

Note Note

Your assignment should be between 10 - 12 pages, excluding Your assignment should be between 10 - 12 pages, excluding references, typed using 12-point Times New Roman or 10-references, typed using 12-point Times New Roman or 10-point Arial font (or the equivalent) and double-spaced. point Arial font (or the equivalent) and double-spaced.

Do Do NOTNOT plagiarise from books or the Internet. You can plagiarise from books or the Internet. You can definitely use the content from these sources, but you must definitely use the content from these sources, but you must (i) paraphrase and (ii) cite the sources. If there is evidence of (i) paraphrase and (ii) cite the sources. If there is evidence of plagiarism, your assignment will be rejected or severely plagiarism, your assignment will be rejected or severely penalised. penalised.

•

Submission details Submission details

Please submit your assignment as a hard copy, by Please submit your assignment as a hard copy, by 1 March, 20121 March, 2012.. All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ

administration) for their records. Please do NOT send administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments directly to me.assignments directly to me.

•