IN THE NAME OF GOD SOCIOLINGUISTICS (Chapter9 Part 2) BY: MASOUD SHAKIBA 1

SOCIOLINGUISTICS 1) What is Sociolinguistics 2) Issues in Sociolinguistics 3)Working with Sociolinguistics 4) Applications of Sociolinguistics 2

Working with sociolinguistics 1) Collecting & Analyzing Sociolinguistic Data 2) Interpreting Sociolinguistic Data 3) Models & Frameworks 4) The Teeside Study 3

1) Collecting & Analyzing Sociolinguistic Data When collecting data, the field worker must be aware of issues involved in sampling and the representativeness of the p0pulation surveyed. A variety of techniques have been developed by sociolinguistics to gain access to the least monitored forms of speech below the level of self awareness. Experimental forms of elicitation that can be used are interviews, questionnaires(spoken & written), role play, storytelling etc. So linguist studies speech style by use these techniques to increase degrees of informants self awareness. For example: starting with an informal conversation, giving reading passage, a list of words to read, and at last a list of potential minimal pairs like moon/moan. 4

2) Interpreting Sociolinguistic Data We must think about how we interpret the data we collect and also try to explain what motivates this variation by questions like: 1) Why does lg variation exist? 2) What function does the variation serve. 3) How do lgs change. 4) What process are involved. 5) Does the data from one speech community have wider implications. 5

3) Models & Frameworks Our models and Frameworks when we interpret lg variation and change. As we know lg is variable all the time. It means that there is the potential for change.In seeking the motivation change we must consider these two changes: internal or external to the linguistic system. A) Internal changes. Are system based brought about by pressures internal to the linguistic system for instance vowel changes in USA(a chain shift model from a city to other city). B) External changes. Are speaker based brought about by speakers adopting forms from other varieties. Motivation for the variation is external to the linguistic system. For example: 6

1) Dialect leveling model is external change. Dialect or accent leveling locally marked forms in a variation. 2) Large scale homogenization. Taking place in Spoken British English(BE). 3) Gravity model of diffusion. Spreading of variation from an identifiable local base into other geographical localities. 4) Accommodation(standardized accent). When speaker moves to new society tends to avoid locally marked forms of speech and use new forms. If it happens frequently the accommodation can become permanent. 5) Contact based. Changes toward standard variety. 7

4)The Teeside Study The study set out to investigate whether localized forms were coming under pressure from other vernacular forms spreading from outside the area. Llamas also included two social variables age and gender to design of the fieldwork sample. 8

Applications of Sociolinguistics Many sociolinguistic studies have a practical application as their main objective. For example Labov & Milory demonestrate a sociolinguistic view of the historical development of English. And finally, the methods developed in sociolinguistic have led the way in the consideration of research ethics and in the use of naturalistic data in linguistic study. Sociolinguistic reveals the complexity of context when lg is studied in its real applied setting, and it suggest ways of understanding this context and the richness of lg uses. 9