1. L23A: Sociology of Language 2006-2007
Lecturer: Emmogene Budhai-Alvaranga
addresses: or
L23A Website:
Please Turn off all cellular phones & pagers
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2. Objectives of the Session
Review of Last Session – Speech Community
Introduction to Variation existing in speech communities
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3. Review_Main Problems with Group Assignments:
  Even when linguistic criteria assign them to groups, people may have different views on their groupings
Speakers see themselves as one group even if they do not speak the same language
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4. The Speech Community -Characterizing properties:
1.  Common locale is shared
2.   a high level of interaction among group members 
3.   more interaction among group members than non-members
4. common social and linguistic norms
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5. Speech Communities – variation
Variation in English
Lexical/Semantic differences: miserable in England (unfortunate) & Jamaica (irritable)
Phonology: Americans al’uminium vs British alum’inium
Syntax: Southern US blacks – he don’t know nothing vs. Standard American – he doesn’t know anything
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6. Example of Variation – American English
Midwestern dialect
  Frank: How is Bob?
Mary: Bob worries a lot anymore
What is Mary trying to say?
a)           bob doesn’t worry a lot anymore
b)           Bob still worries a lot
c)            Bob worries a lot nowadays
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7. Example of Variation – American English
African-American Vernacular English (AAVE)
Tabitha: Is she married?
Jamal: She BIN married (emphasis on BIN)
What is Jamal trying to say?:
a)     she has been married before but isn’t
married now
b) she’s married now and has been for a
long time
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8. Why language varieties differ?
3 main factors:
1)    Movement of population away from source
2)  Cultural contact with other speakers
3) Space between people – geographical and social
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9. DISTINCTION IN VARIATION STUDIES:
HORIZONTAL (or Regional) VARIATION
Vs.
VERTICAL (or Social) VARIATION
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10. HORIZONTAL (or Regional) VARIATION
variation largely geographical or regional to which the term “dialect” is usually attached.
Eg. North America: different lexical items for beverage:
pop, soda, soft drink, tonic
researchers use ISOGLOSSES
Which are lines used to mark linguistic boundaries (linguistic atlas)
a number of isoglosses “bundle” may correspond with dialectal boundaries
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11. VERTICAL (or Social) VARIATION
Variation influence by social factors
(socio-economic status, caste, education level, gender, age, race, ethnicity)
Most societies that have social dialect variation have at least two varieties:
-       a high or prestigious variety
a non-standard variety
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12. Factors influencing Vertical Variation
1) Patterns of Interaction
2) Distribution of Power
3) Distribution of population
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