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L23B: Sociolinguistics 2005-2006. Lecturer: Emmogene Budhai-Alvaranga. Please Turn off all cellular phones & pagers. L23B Website: www.mona.uwi.edu/dllp/courses/l23 b. Objectives of the Session. Review some important concepts Overview of Communication Readings: Downes & Hymes.
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L23B: Sociolinguistics 2005-2006 Lecturer: Emmogene Budhai-Alvaranga Please Turn off all cellular phones & pagers L23B Website: www.mona.uwi.edu/dllp/courses/l23b
Objectives of the Session • Review some important concepts • Overview of Communication Readings: Downes & Hymes
What is sociolinguistics? As defined by C&J (1997) ‘the study of language in its social context and the study of social life through linguistics’
Sociolinguistics: Is it relevant? (Downes) • language includes not just grammar but also social process • features of language linked to social aspects
Arbitrariness: is a social phenomenon • label/lexical items/expressions dependent on our philosophies/culture
Variability: requires social explanation For example: (taken from Downes) ‘butter’ - meaning (edible, yellow, diary product) - syntactic use: noun ‘a’ ‘the’ sub/obj But different phonetic realizations • RP [b] • Canadian/American ‘budder’ [bdr] • British English/Cockney [br] (working class)
Sociolinguistics Allows us to: • Combine theoretical discoveries with social investigations • Concentrate on performance
Relevance of Sociolinguistics (Hymes) • linguistic theory as a wholistic theory of language entailing the organization of speech and not just grammar. • Speech communities as organizations of ways of speaking not just the distribution of the grammar of a language
Downes (Film 1961) Doreen: She got married yesterday. She looked ever so nice Arthur: What was the bloke like, could y’er smell the drink? He must have been drunk to get married. What did she want to convey? • make a statement • request for action • suggestion • broach the topic
Analyzing Conversation Points to consider… 1. Context 2. Several Interpretations possible 3. Intentions may be incorrect 4. Speaker can deny 5. Vague
Interaction: student to teacher at end of term Will you be teaching another course in this programme?
Politeness Salt! Pass the Salt! Would you mind passing the salt please? I think this food could use a little salt. This meal is marvelous! Just a pinch of salt and it would be perfect.
Components of Communication • Linguistic Knowledge • Interaction Skills • Cultural Knowledge
Linguistic Knowledge • verbal elements • non-verbal elements • patterning of elements • range of possible variants • meaning of variants
Interaction Skills • selection of forms • interpretation of forms • discourse organization and processes • norms of interaction and interpretation • strategies for achieving goals
Cultural Knowledge • social structure • values and attitudes
Communicative Competence “underlying systems of knowledge and skill required for communication”
Factors Influencing Selection of Variety/Code: • Speaker/Receiver • Competence • Situation • Topic • Channel • Tone