LANGUAGE AND SOCIETYLANGUAGE AND SOCIETY

IntroductionIntroduction

Defining language and societyDefining language and society

SOCIETY: SOCIETY: any group(ing) of people drawn any group(ing) of people drawn

together for a certain purpose or purposes together for a certain purpose or purposes

LANGUAGE: what the members of a LANGUAGE: what the members of a

particular society speak, use for particular society speak, use for

communicative purposescommunicative purposes;; a means of a means of

communication communication

FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGEFUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE

1. Communicating information1. Communicating information

2. Establishing contact between 2. Establishing contact between peoplepeople

Linguistic theoryLinguistic theory is concerned is concerned primarily with primarily with an ideal speakeran ideal speaker--listenerlistener, in a completely , in a completely homogenous speechhomogenous speech--communitycommunity,,who who knows its language perfectlyknows its language perfectlyand is and is unaffectedunaffected by by suchsuchgrammatically irrelevant grammatically irrelevant conditionsconditions as memory limitations, as memory limitations, distractions, shifts of attention and distractions, shifts of attention and interest, and errors …. in applying interest, and errors …. in applying his knowledge of language in his knowledge of language in actual performance. This seems actual performance. This seems to me to have been the position of to me to have been the position of the founders of modern the founders of modern linguistics… To study linguistics… To study actual actual linguistic performancelinguistic performance, (however), , (however), we we must consider the interaction must consider the interaction of a variety of factors, of which the of a variety of factors, of which the underlying competence of the underlying competence of the speakerspeaker--hearer is only onehearer is only one..ChomskyChomsky:: Aspects of the Theory of Aspects of the Theory of SyntaxSyntax. 1965. Cambridge. 1965. Cambridge..

Example 1:Example 1:Ray: Ray: Hi mumHi mum..Mum: Mum: Hi, you’re lateHi, you’re late..Ray: Ray: Yeah, that bastard Sootbucket kept us in Yeah, that bastard Sootbucket kept us in

againagain..Mum: Mum: Nana’s hereNana’s here..Ray: Ray: Oh sorry. Where is sheOh sorry. Where is she??

Example 2:Example 2:Ray: Ray: Good afternoon, sirGood afternoon, sir. . Principle: Principle: What are you doing here at this timeWhat are you doing here at this time??Ray: Ray: Mr Sutton kept us in, sirMr Sutton kept us in, sir..

WHAT WHAT AARREE THTHE THINGSE THINGS WE SAY WE SAY

DIFFERENTLYDIFFERENTLY??

Example 3:Example 3:Sam: Sam: You seen our ‘enry’s new ‘ouse yet? It’s in ‘alton, you You seen our ‘enry’s new ‘ouse yet? It’s in ‘alton, you

knowknow. .

Jim: Jim: I have indeed. I could hardly miss it, Sam. Your Henry I have indeed. I could hardly miss it, Sam. Your Henry now owns the biggest house in Haltonnow owns the biggest house in Halton..

Example 4:Example 4:(a) (a) Refuse should be deposited in the receptacle providedRefuse should be deposited in the receptacle provided..

(b) (b) Put your rubbish in the bin, JimPut your rubbish in the bin, Jim..

(c) (c) Please, tender exact fare and state destinationPlease, tender exact fare and state destination. .

(d) (d) Give me the right money and tell me where you are Give me the right money and tell me where you are goinggoing. .

WHY DO WE SAY THINGS WHY DO WE SAY THINGS DIFDIFFFERENTLYERENTLY??

Are rAre reasons for linguistic variationeasons for linguistic variation

linguisticlinguistic? ?

NO, SOCIALNO, SOCIAL -- WHOWHO IS TALKING, IS TALKING, WHOWHOWE ARE TALKING TO, WE ARE TALKING TO, WHERE, ABOUT WHERE, ABOUT WHAT, WHAT FORWHAT, WHAT FOR, that is, , that is,

PARTICIPANTS, SOCIAL SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, SOCIAL SETTING, TOPICTOPIC andand PURPOSE OF PURPOSE OF INTERACTIONINTERACTION..

SOCIAL SOCIAL DIMENSIONSDIMENSIONS RELATED TO (SOCIAL) RELATED TO (SOCIAL) FACTORS AFFECTINGFACTORS AFFECTING CHOICE OF LINGUISTIC CHOICE OF LINGUISTIC

VARIATIONVARIATION

1. Social distance scale 1. Social distance scale -- participantsparticipants WHOWHO

Status scale Status scale WHOWHO

2. Formality scale 2. Formality scale -- settingsetting WHEREWHERE

-- social contextsocial context

3. Functional scale 3. Functional scale -- topictopic WHATWHAT

4. Functional scale 4. Functional scale -- function function WHYWHY

-- purposespurposes

What information do we gather about the What information do we gather about the

relationship brelationship betetwweeneen the people talking? the people talking?

What is the function of the utterances? What is the function of the utterances?

Convey mainly affective or referential info? Convey mainly affective or referential info?

–– Example Example A:A:

Good morning little one, you had a good big sleep, Good morning little one, you had a good big sleep,

didn’t you, pet?didn’t you, pet?

–– Example Example B:B:

Excuse me, Mr. Clayton. I’ve finished your letters, Excuse me, Mr. Clayton. I’ve finished your letters,

sir.sir.

Sociolinguistics is the study of language in Sociolinguistics is the study of language in

its social context, in relation to societyits social context, in relation to society

MICRO SLMICRO SL = = Ethnography of Ethnography of communicationcommunication

How are the rules of use (RoU) How are the rules of use (RoU) structured?structured?

How does language function How does language function when used to communicate by when used to communicate by individuals within the speech individuals within the speech community?community?

–– Frameworks for describing Frameworks for describing RoUsRoUs

–– Terms of addressTerms of address

–– PolitenessPoliteness

–– The structure of conversationThe structure of conversation

MACRO SLMACRO SL = = Sociology of Sociology of language language

How is the social structure of How is the social structure of the whole speech community the whole speech community reflected in the way language reflected in the way language is used and perceived?is used and perceived?

–– Regional differences and Regional differences and language language

–– Social differences and Social differences and languagelanguage

–– Ethnic differences and Ethnic differences and languagelanguage

–– Gender differences and Gender differences and languagelanguage