Introductory Stuff

1. Introductory Stuff David W. Marlow Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics

2. About the Course • Linguistically based • Read Syllabus • Goals • Attendance • Evaluation • Deadlines • Accommodations

3. Disclaimer • My role • Coach • Your responsibility • Academic Athlete • Keep up • Keep in touch • Do your best

4. Technical Enhancements • My Homepage (http://faculty.uscupstate.edu/dmarlow) • Slides • Course Info • General Links • Blackboard (http://www.bb.sc.com) • Paper Submission • Discussion • Clickers • Attendance, Participation, Quizzes (maybe)

5. Clicker Test I am ready for the semester to begin

6. Sociolinguistics Chapter 1 Foundational Stuff

7. Whaddya Think? Language is simple.

8. Language: … define in 25 words or less … LVQ Practice

9. Language for a Linguist… • Communicative • Community-based • Systematic • Generative • Arbitrary • Human

10. Whenever we speak… Language Strategic Competence Competence Organizational Pragmatic Competence Competence Grammatical Textual Illocutionary Sociolinguistic Competence Competence Competence Competence Vocabulary Cohesion Rhetorical Dialect Cultural Organization References Syntax Register Morphology Functional Phonology Abilities Primary areas of interest for Sociolinguistics

11. Two Views of Language • Noam Chomsky • Focus on ideal situation • Homogeneous speech community • Competence = performance • Dell Hymes • Focus on real people • Speech community is critical • Competence ≠ Performance Which approach will allow us to examine Dialect? A. Chomsky B. Hymes

12. Whaddya Think? What is the most noticeablefeature of dialect? • Pronunciation • Vocabulary • Intonation • Grammar • Speed

13. Dialect • American English • Words in the South • http://www.blogthings.com/amenglishdialecttest/ • International English • Nigerian English • Chinese English • Many more at: http://www.ku.edu/~idea/

14. Politics of Language

15. Linguistic Perspectives • Mutual Intelligibility • English • American • British • Nigerian • Mutual Unintelligibility • Chinese • Mandarin (Beijing) • Cantonese (Hong Kong) “A language is a dialect with a navy…”

16. Does Culture Matter? Choose the best statement below • Our language controls our thoughts • Our thoughts control our language • Our culture controls our thoughts • Our thoughts control our culture • Our language, thoughts & cultural are inseparably intertwined

17. Sapir-Whorf • Language & Culture: Inseparable Couple? • Strong view… • Weak view…

18. Our Word Choice Matters… • Consider the following… • “blue” vs. “azure” • “postman” vs. “mail carrier” • “senior citizen” vs. “old dude” • “white” vs. “honkie” vs. “cracker”

19. “I ain’t got none” (Yes, I say it) Prescriptive rules • “Correct English is the slang of prigs who write history and essays.” -George Eliot -

20. Prescriptive Fallacies • The standard is more logical • The standard is classical • Older is better • Language should be pure(free from foreign influences…)

21. Speech vs. Writing…

22. Which is Primary? • Speech • Writing Why do you think so?

23. Speech vs. Writing • Primacy of Speech • Traditional focus of Sociolinguistics • Quasi Independence of Writing • Coming into its own • Electronic Communication • Organizational Communication • English for Specific Purposes

24. Nice Quote • Languages are not products residing in grammars and dictionaries, but flexible, interactive tools… p. 33

25. Language & Society • Functionalism in Sociolinguistics • Culture • Socialization • Norms & values • Status & role

26. Linguistics & Politics overlap?

27. Marxism in Sociolinguistics • What’s the relevance to today? • Race • Gender • Social class • Others? • Benefits/Dangers of this approach? • cf. Sapir-Whorf…

28. All languages created equal? • Theoretically? • Practically?

29. Rural India Plowing • What’s the moral? • Possible corollaries? p. 36

30. Research Approach Matters? • Interactionalism (cf. Hymes) • Bottom-up approach • Benefits/dangers…?

31. Nice Quote - Redux • Languages are not products residing in grammars and dictionaries, but flexible, interactive tools… p. 33

32. Key Vocab • Culture • Socialization • Norms/Values/Mores • Status/Role

33. Which is a Speech Community? • This class • The city of Spartanburg • Upstate South Carolina • South-eastern United States • All of the above

34. Speech Community … define in 25 words or less… (5 pts on pg 38)

35. Speech Community Cont’d • Bilingualism (incl. Multilingualism) • in Society • in Education • Bi-Dialectalism • Diglossia (segue to next slide…)

36. Diglossia • What is it? • How many languages? • What is the status of the languages? • How is language selection governed?

37. Common Code Usages • High: • Sermons, lectures, political stuff, serious news, poetry, fine literature • Low • Instructions to workers & servants, conversation with friends, pop-culture stuff, folk literature, humor

38. Diglossia in Use • “High” is seen as more ____ than “Low” • How does diglossia develop? • Why does it persist? • Pride • Power • Tradition

39. Diglossia Examples? • Arab Speaking World? • Spanish Speaking World? • English Speaking World?

40. Diglossia in Spartanburg? Why do you think so?

41. Whaddya Think? • Diglossia should be a part of an ‘enlightened’ community? Why do you think so?

42. Don’t Forget • Read • See Schedule • Reflect & Write • ~ 250 word reflection on “a day in your life” • How did you use language (different situations, goals, products) • What dialects/styles did you use? When? Why? • Relate class concepts to your day