Sociolinguistic

Perspectives
The linguistic determiner for the identification of a
language is the concept of mutual intelligibility.

English and German are not mutually intelligible so,

linguistically, are autonomous languages.

1.A language constitutes a

Language separate entity and is not
comprehensible to speakers of
other languages.
2.A language is defined socially
and politically by its speakers.
3.A language is defined politically
by the nation in which it is spoken.
Sociolinguistic
s The study concerns how language
use relates to and is influenced
by social factors such as
nationality, class, ethnicity, sex,
regional origin and education.

Language and
Society
 •Regional Dialects: How Geography
Influences Language
• Examples: American vs. British
English, regional accents
•Social Dialects: How social factors
shape language use

Language • Examples: Socioeconomic class,

education, occupation
Variation •Language and Identity: How language
expresses who we are
• Examples: Age-related slang,
professional jargon
 Language as a social capital
Access to prestigious language
varieties
•Language proficiency and social
mobility
Linguistic discrimination

Language and •Language prejudice and stereotyping

•"Standard" language ideology
Power Language policies
•Official languages and minority
language rights
•Language preservation efforts
 •Language evolution in digital
spaces
• Internet slang, emojis, memes
• Impact of character limits and
instant messaging
•Digital divides
Digital • Access to digital literacy
Communication • Linguistic representation online
 Limits Variety

The compulsory wearing of a uniform or

a law constraining people's actions both
act to limit variety.

An education system which teaches

'correct' rules for the use of pupils' first
languages, act to limit the varieties which
Influence would naturally be present and could
make people less able to communicate
Acts on effectively.

Variety The international spread of mass media

such as film, the internet and television
and the ease with which people now
travel across national borders and
encounter speakers of a range of
varieties of their own language may also
act to homogenise a language and
 Change and Increase Variety

In language, the further apart people are

in terms of culture, the more likely it is
that the local or regional influences will
affect which language people speak, how
they use it, their vocabulary, the
grammar they employ and the ways in
which they speak and write.

Influence If dialects of a language are separated by

Acts on geographical, political or cultural barriers,
the tendency is clear for them to drift
Variety apart while
commonalities.
maintaining some
 Code-switching
Code-switching is far more than just
mixing languages - it's a sophisticated
linguistic skill:
•Prevalence: Most people worldwide (60-
75%) regularly use more than one
language in their daily lives
•Cognitive complexity: Research shows
code-switching follows systematic
patterns, not random mixing

Multilingual •Real-world examples:

• A Mexican-American professional

ism in a using Spanish at home and English

at work

Global • A Singaporean switching between

Mandarin, English, and Singlish

Society depending on context

• An African businessperson
navigating between colonial
languages and indigenous
languages
 Defining Contact
Languages
Pidgins
• Definition: Simplified contact languages that
develop for practical communication between
groups without a shared language
• Key characteristics:
• Reduced grammatical complexity
• Limited vocabulary drawn from multiple source languages
• Restricted usage contexts (typically trade, labor, or
administration)
• No native speakers initially
• Function: Primarily utilitarian communication tool
 Defining Contact
Languages
Creoles
• Definition: Fully developed languages that
evolved from pidgins when acquired as first
languages by children
• Key characteristics:
• Complete grammatical systems
• Expanded vocabulary and expressive capacity
• Used across all communication domains
• Community of native speakers
• Often associated with distinct cultural identity
• Function: Full linguistic system serving all
community needs
 Language Contact Phenomena
When languages meet, fascinating things
happen:
•Borrowing dynamics: English has
borrowed approximately 80% of its
vocabulary from other languages
•Pidgins and creoles: These aren't
Multilingual "broken" languages but rule-governed

ism in a systems that develop in specific contact

Global situations
•Translanguaging: Modern educational
Society approaches recognize fluid language
practices as resources rather than
deficits
 Bilingual Education

Program models:
•Transitional: L1 as bridge to L2
•Maintenance: Supporting both languages
•Two-way immersion: Benefits for L1 and
L2 speakers

Multilingual •Content and Language Integrated

Learning (CLIL)
ism in a
Global Social outcomes

Society •Cultural identity development

•Intergenerational communication
•Economic advantages (global job
market)
 Bilingual Education
The research on bilingual education
shows significant benefits:
•Cognitive advantages: Studies show
bilingual individuals demonstrate
enhanced executive function and
metalinguistic awareness
Multilingual •Program effectiveness: Two-way

ism in a immersion programs have shown

Global academic benefits for both language

majority and minority students
Society •Economic implications: Multilingual
employees earn 5-20% more on average
than monolingual counterparts
 Superdiversity
Modern migration patterns have created
unprecedented linguistic complexity:
•Urban linguistic innovation: Cities
like London, Berlin, and Toronto have
neighborhoods where dozens of
languages coexist
Multilingual •Digital practices: Online communities

ism in a develop unique multilingual

Global communication strategies

•Integration challenges: Language
Society proficiency requirements for citizenship
vary dramatically across countries
Variety:
Language
Dialect
Accent
 Everyone speaks a dialect
and everyone speaks with
an accent, no matter which
language(s) they speak.
Dialect and
Accent
A dialect is a variety of a language which differs from other
varieties in three ways: grammar, lexis and pronunciation.

An accent refers purely to differences in pronunciation.

Dialect and
Accent
 Home Assignment- Class
Discussion

• Gender and Language

• 2 points
• 5-minute talks