Sociolinguistics

1. Slide 1
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
Linguistic relativity = people who speak different languages perceive
and think about the world differently (Sapir and Whorf)
Linguistic determinism = humans are only able to think about objects,
processes and conditions that have language associated with them --> the
language we use determines how we see the world
This says that instead of language being affected by culture, culture is
created by language (looks at certain grammatical functions in Native
American languages rather than European languages) TEST: How many
objects are here? How many different groups of objects are there?
Maybe this idea is too strong? What would happen to how we see the
world as language changes?
Ch 9 - Words and Culture

2. Slide 2
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
If there is this connection that we see the world through our language,
then how does that affect the PC movement of trying to rid English of
sexist, racist, etc-ist, language? Does using non-sexist language mean that
the speaker is not sexist?
What about speaker identity expressed through language (style?)? Is
this connected by a shift in our perception of ourselves in our own
societies - is this what Bell was talking about in speaker initiated shifts?
Also, if language, culture and personal identity are all inter-related, then
what are the impacts of standard and non-standard language use in
education? (remember the Do You Speak American video of the school in
Watts? Are there possible arguments against calling it African American
language? What about the non-African American students?)
Ch 9 - Words and Culture

3. Slide 3
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
What are different cultures expectations of talk? !Kung example,
Western Apache, etc.
What is required in your culture? Are there different rules in your
family, circle of friends, etc, than in larger society?
What type of talk is required along gender lines in our culture? What
are you SUPPOSED to talk about on a date?
Ethnography is a way of doing research that combines qualitative and
quantitative data - usually in depth observations - more anthropological
(Eckert used ethnographic approach in her Jocks and Burnouts case)
Wardhaugh – Chapter 10 – Ethnographies

4. Slide 4
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
Ethnography of speaking (Hymes) - SPEAKING
Wardhaugh – Chapter 10 – Ethnographies

5. Slide 5
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
Ethnography of speaking (Hymes) - SPEAKING
Wardhaugh – Chapter 10 – Ethnographies

6. Slide 6
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
Communicative competence - Gumperz
“Whereas linguistic competence covers the speaker’s ability to
produce grammatically correct sentences, communicative
competence describes his[sic] ability to select, from the totality of
grammatically correct expressions available to him[sic], forms which
appropriately reflect the social norms governing behavior in specific
encounters.” (p. 250 in Wardhaugh)
Sociolinguistic Competence = the ability to interpret the social meaning
surrounding the choice of linguistic forms (including variable forms in both
stable and language change situations) and to use language to create the
appropriate social meaning for the situation
Wardhaugh – Chapter 10 – Ethnographies

7. Slide 7
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
As shown below, this descriptive production aspect (blue) is only one
aspect of my model of Sociolinguistic Competence
Production of ling
forms/variation
based on stable
social factors
Production of ling
forms/variation based on
dynamic social factors
(includes stylistic variation used to
construct identity)
Perception/Evaluation of
ling forms/variation with
their social meaning
(includes Percep/Eval of social
factors affecting ling forms)
SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCE
Things I haven’t
thought of yet . . .
Stable social
factors are
aspects of
individuals in
society that
can be
ascribed to
them (things
that you are)
Dynamic
social factors
are aspects of
our identity
that we
manipulate
from setting to
setting (things
that you do)

8. Slide 8
LING 432-532 – Sociolinguistics – Spring 2011
Wardhaugh Misc
Ethnomethodology (also conversation analysis) - Garfinkel and Sacks
How members of society make sense of the world around them
(through language) and the categories involved in this process
Jocks and Burnouts used to make sense of social realty and used ling
variation to mark membership into these groups
Conversation analysis examines the structure on interaction through
conversation - things like turn taking, adjacency pairs (question/answer)
What is going on during conversation in terms of interaction - what
speakers are thinking in contrast to what they are saying
Wardhaugh – Chapter 10 – Ethnographies