UTS of Sociolinguistics Course

 Assalamu'alaikum wr. wb

hai hai ketemu lagi dengan minmin. Kali ini aku mau nge post soal dan jawaban UTS smtr 5 di kampus aku (matkul Sociolinguistics). Let's ceck it out!

 Answer sheet!

Name             : Sit Rafiah. MH

NIM/Class      : 1588203033/V.A

What is Sociolinguistics?

Sociolinguistics is one of branches of applied linguistics. This study  between socio and linguistics.  In An Introduction to Sociolinguistics (2013), Rubén Chacón-Beltrán observes that in sociolinguistics "the stress is placed on language and its role within communication. Sociology of language, however, centers on the study of society and how we can understand it through the study of language." Sociolinguistics is the study of language in its social context. This means that we use language to socially define and express who we are, where we come from, and who we associate with. It is amazing to see how often we judge someone’s character by making assumptions about their background and their character based simply upon how a person speaks. To be more precise, sociolinguistics is concerned with language in the social and cultural context. This means that it focuses on the way a person speaks or behaves when they are placed in specific environments or situations. Sociolinguistics also studies the way a person speaks based on various factors like gender, race, and culture.

Why do we learn Sociolinguistics?

After we know what sociolinguistic is, there are some reason why we learn Sociolinguistics, namely:

a.        Sociolinguistics helps us shape our character by the use of language, and it is very common to use sociolinguistics. We use it all the time, but we never pay close attention. Like I said in the beginning, language is not only knowing how to properly construct sentences to deliver a message, but it is instead a way to define and express who we really are.

b.        We use language every day, and the societies we live in greatly affect the way we speak to each other.  Sociolinguistics provides insight into the why's and how's of the way people speak.

c.        First off, sociolinguistics is the study of the way culture and society affect the way language is used.  Aspects of sociolinguistics include slang, vernacular, local dialect, etc.

d.         Each profession has different ways of referring to specific conditions or objects. For example, when going to the hospital, doctors may have a code to refer to certain medical conditions. It is very hard for someone to understand if they don’t have some type of previous knowledge of the terms being used. For example, a doctor may use the jargon Agonal to say that a major negative change has occurred in a patient's condition.

e.          Sociolinguistics, however, give you the chance to look at the context within which the language is spoken rather than the mechanics of the language itself. Every language is used with in different contexts, by different people and for different reasons. and when learning a language, it is important to consider these factors in order to be able effectively communicate in them. And effective communication is, presumably, the ultimate goal for many learners. 

What is relation between language and society?

In linguistics we sometimes might seem to treat language as though it was nothing to do with people.  It is seen as a sealed system, subject to its own rules. Social context recognizes that people use language and that language is a part of society.  Social context tries to describe, and account for, the different ways that different people use language.  Social context looks at relationships between language and society and looks at language as people use it.  It considers the relationship between a person’s language and their social identity. We observe the way that people use language differently and try to explain why this is.  This explaining is not always easy. Social context asks:

(a)  what variations are there in a language and

(b)  why do they come about?

Please mention and explain the branches of linguistics?

Linguists interested in language structure consider the formal properties of language, including word structure (morphology), sentence structure (syntax), speech sounds and the rules and patterns between them (phonetics and phonology), and meaning in language (semantics and pragmatics).

What is standard of language? Giving an example!

Typical characteristics of a standard language include several of the following:

1. An authoritative dictionary which records the vocabulary of the language (in Dutch, for example, the Grote Van Dale (@link) dictionary [Dutch-language website of Van Dale Taalweb. The site allows its users to search the online version of the dictionary Grote Van Dale]);

2. An authoritative grammar which records the forms, rules and structures of the language (for example the Dutch Algemene Nederlandse spraakkunst (@link) [Electronic version (in Dutch) of the Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst (General Dutch Grammar) at the site of the Catholic University Nijmegen]
3. A recognized standard of pronunciation;
4. Mention of the language in legal documents (for example the constitution of a country);
5. The use of the language throughout public life (for example in a country’s parliament) and its formal instruction in schools;
6. A body of literary texts;
7. Formal instruction of and research into the language and its literature in institutions of higher education;
8. An institution promoting the use of the language and its formal instruction in educational institutions abroad (for example the Nederlandse Taalunie (@link) [Multilingual website of the Nederlandse Taalunie or Language Union, which promotes the cooperation between The Netherlands, Belgium and Surinam on issues such as language policy, teaching, literature etc. The site offers interesting information on Dutch language, spelling, literature etc] in the Low Countries, the French Académie française, or the German Goethe Institut);
9. Translations of key religious texts such as the Bible or the Koran.

Elaborating the language, dialect, and accent, please!

Accent is all about pronunciation. Two people may use the same grammar, the same syntax and the same vocabulary but pronounce the words in a different way. Effectively they have two accents. For example, people in the north of England tend to say the word path as:

pæːθ

with a short vowel whilst people in the south of England tend to say:

pɑːθ

with a long vowel. There are two different accents at work here.

Dialects, on the other hand, have differences not only in pronunciation but also in grammar and syntax. Two people may both speak English but one might say:

He did well!

Whilst the other could say:

He done well!

Here this isn’t just a difference in pronunciation but also grammar; these are two different dialects. On another tack, one person might say:

He’s talking.

Whilst another says:

He’s a-mardlin’.

There is a saying that a language is a dialect with an army. Linguists often talk about language in terms of political influence and power. By this they mean that a dialect with political power becomes a language. Take, for example, Chinese and Spanish. They are two very different languages and most people would regard them as completely separate.

Giving an example of formal language and informal language!

In English, formal language is used in situations that are more serious, for example when you’re in a job interview or emailing your university professor. It can also be used when you’re speaking to someone you don’t know very well and want to make sure you sound respectful.

Informal language is used in more relaxed, everyday situations. Of course, this includes conversations with friends, family and other people you know well. Unlike many other languages, though, most English speakers tend to use informal language with people they’ve just met, too.

In fact, if you start a conversation with someone on the train or speak to someone working in a shop, they will usually find it strange if you use very formal language!

Language can be viewed as a formal system that can be profitably studied independently from the people who use it. This type of approach is often referred to in the field as the study of "formal" linguistics. However . . .  if we can gain insight into how language works by studying its formal grammatical properties, we must also realize that language, as a "thing" to be studied, is necessarily a kind of simplification, because language isn't a "thing" external to human beings, but rather, something that makes up a part of who we are. Language must also be profitably studied in its social context. In so doing, we learn both about language and about ourselves, the people who use it, live with it, and live in it. (www.unc.edu)

What aspects of language is sociolinguistics interested in?

Sociolinguists are interested in explaining why people speak differently in different social contexts. They are concerned with the way people signal aspects of their social identity through language. Sociolinguists study the effect of social factors -- such as social distance, social status, age, gender and class -- on language varieties (dialects, registers, genres, etc). Sociolinguists are also concerned with identifying the social functions of language and the ways it is used to convey social meaning.

When two or more people from different languages met and tried to communicate, what should they do?

1. Pidgin
2. Creole
3. Lingua Franca

Use a third language (Language Franca) and mix the two language (Pidgin/Creole)

Why do people switch and mix a language?

1. Our lizard brains take over: The most common examples of code-switching were completely inadvertent; folks would slip into a different language or accent without even realizing it or intending to do it.
2. We want to fit in: Very often, people code-switch — both consciously and unconsciously — to act or talk more like those around them.
3. We want to get something: A lot of folk code-switch not just to fit in, but to actively ingratiate themselves to others. We cannot tell you how many dozens of stories we got from people who work in service industries who said that a Southern accent is a surefire way to get better tips and more sympathetic customers. Apparently everyone who works in a restaurant picks up "y'all" immediately upon arriving at their job.
4. We want to say something in secret: We collected many sweet stories of people code-switching in order to hide in plain sight, a habit most common among people in love.
5. It helps us convey a thought: Certain concepts need that perfection mot to come across effectively. Many people switch languages or employ colloquialisms to express particular ideas

Giving an example of code switching and code mixing?

For example of code switching, I have story from Amy Proulx:

Yes, I actually did secretly learn Farsi to snoop on the in-laws. I married an Iranian-Canadian, and after torturing myself trying to learn through the standard language tapes and computer programs, I sort of gave up, and instead, started watching Iranian soap operas. Oh the drama, the intrigue, the suspicion and suspense! What a way to learn Farsi, through the vice of sappy television.

My bad habit lead to good Farsi skills, but my handle on slang and colloquial language was the real kicker. When at a memorial ceremony for my late-father-in-law, I proceed to intone a rather dramatic, but reasonably common Shi'ite prayer (courtesy of my TV watching). My brother-in-law, in the middle of this most dramatic and somber moment, nearly fell over laughing. He declared that I proclaimed this Shi'ite prayer with perfect diction and pronunciation, and that I was a model of a perfect daughter and sister-in-law. I was in the in-crowd with the in-laws, thanks to soap operas.

For example of code mixing :

Yeh train ka time change ho gaya hai kya?

That sentence is mix of Hindi and English.

Thank you for my readers, keep reading yah.