1. Introduction to Linguistics for lawyers
SOCIOLINGUISTICS
Introduction to Linguistics for lawyers

2. What is sociolinguistics?
Sociolinguistics is the study of lanuage use in its social contexts
While linguistics primarily analyses the structure of language, sociolinguistics analyses language function and use
Sociolinguistics – developed since 1960’s
No hard boundary between sociolinguistics and linguistics

3. Some basic sociolinguistic principles
Sociolinguistics – concerned with the complex relationship between language and society
1) assumption that language reflects society (1960’s-1990’s), e.g. calling the judge „Your Honour” reflects the hierarchical authority structure in courtrooms
2) assumption that language, or culture, determines aspects of society: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

4. Some basic sociolinguistic principles
21st c. sociolinguistics assumes a dynamic and reciprocal relationship between language and society, so that language usage at the same time both reflects and shapes society

5. Some basic sociolinguistic principles
Language – characterised by variation
Variation can be studied along two dimensions: diachronic and synchronic
Diachronic variation – all languages change over time
Synchronic variation – differences in the ways in which language is used in the same time period; people speak differently in different contexts

6. Some basic sociolinguistic principles
Language variation – ubiquitous and related to social factors
Dialects – forms of a language which are generally mutually intelligible, and which differ from each other in systematic ways, such as in accent, grammar, words and thier meaning, and communication patterns
Cover term ‘variety’ refers to both languages and dialects
Differences between social groups based on ethnicity or geographical and/or political space often correspond to the use of different language varieties

7. Different kinds of sociolinguistic analysis
All sociolinguistic analysis – empirical basis; collecting evidence of actual language use

8. Different kinds of sociolinguistic analysis
Ethnography of speaking/ethnography of communication
Variationist sociolinguistics
Sociology of language
Critical sociolinguistics
Descriptive linguistics
Discourse analysis

9. Ethnography of communication
Studies the ways of speaking (or communicating) in a speech community
Uses anthropological approach in which researchers are interested in how members of a social group live, and in learig about their beliefs, values and practices from careful observation (rather than e.g. interviews)

10. Variationist sociolinguistics
Studies patterns and structures of language variation, often using quantitative analysis
Initially this approach correlated social variables such as age, gender and socioeconomic class with language variation
Increasingly this is being broadened to examine dynamic interactions between variations in ways of using language and ways in which speakers can actively fine-tune a wide range of aspects of their social identity

11. Sociology of language
Focuses on society-level issues involving language
Topics include language choice and language policy and planning in multilingual contexts
Macroanalysis

12. Critical sociolinguistics
Uses a range of sociolinguistic approaches (both macro and micro) in combination with social theoretical analysis to examine the role of language in power relationships

13. Descriptive linguistics
Studies the structure of language and it complements ad accompanies much sociolinguistic analysis
Uses a number of analytical approaches: phonetics/phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics

14. Discourse analysis
Studies language use beyond the sentence level, whether in face-to-face interactions such as conversations, interviews, public speeches, or written communication such as newspaper articles or codified laws
Sociolinguistic discourse analysis pays attention not just to the content of what is said but how it is said, examining linguistic dimensions, such as grammar, accent, word choice, turn-taking and context

15. Discourse analysis Conversation analysis
Interactional sociolinguistics
Critical Discourse Analysis

16. Conversation Analysis (CA)
Focuses on everyday conversations, but is increasingly being used in the study of institutional talk, such as in courtrooms
Sociological tradition of ethnomethodology; focus on the structure of conversations and on how this is cooperatively managed by participants

17. Interactional sociolinguistics
In contrast to CA, highlights contextual and cultural dimensions of language and interaction

18. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Examines the ways in which language use (or discourse practices) reproduce and/or trasform power relations within society