This document discusses regional variations in language. It defines key terms related to language geography and variations, including standard language, dialects, accents, isoglosses, bidialectalism, bilingualism, diglossia, pidgins, and creoles. The standard language refers to the variety associated with education and administration regardless of region, while dialects are variations in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation across regions. Accents also vary regionally but all speakers have accents. Isoglosses mark boundaries where linguistic features change between dialects.

1. The Study of Language
Chapter 18
Regional variation
in language

2. Regional Variation in Language
2

3. Linguistic Geography
Language geography is the branch of
human geography that studies the
geographic distribution of language(s) or
its constituent elements.
3

4. The Standard Language
This is actually an
idealized variety,
because it has no
specific region. It is the
variety associated with
administrative,
commercial and
educational centers,
regardless of region.

5. “ It is clearly associated with education and
broadcasting in public contexts and is
more easily described in terms of the
written language than the spoken language
5

6. Dialect
This term is used to describe features of
grammar and vocabulary as well as
aspects of pronunciation.
6

7. Accent
It is a myth that some speakers have
accents while others do not. We might feel
that some speakers have very distinct or
easily recognized types of accents, but
every language-user speaks with an accent
7

8. Dialectology
To distinguish between two
different dialects of the same
language (whose speakers
can usually understand each
other.
8

9. 9
Isoglosses
An isogloss is a geographical boundary line marking the area in which a
distinctive linguistic feature commonly occurs.
This linguistic feature may be phonological (e.g., the pronunciation of a
vowel), lexical (the use of a word), or some other aspect of language.
Major divisions between dialects are marked by bundles of isoglosses.

10. Speakers who move back and forth across this
border area, using different varieties with some ease,
may be described as BIDIALECTAL, for example:
speaking two dialects.
Most of us grow up with some form of bidialectalism,
speaking one dialect in the street among family and
friends, and having to learn another dialect in school
Dialect Continuum
10

11. Bilingualism
Ability to speak and
understand two or more
different languages
11
Diglossia
"low variety"
"high variety"

12. Language planning
12
selection
codification
elaboration
implementatio
n
acceptance

13. Pidgins
13
Variety of language
developed among groups of
people that do not have a
language in common

14. Creoles
14
Pidgin that has become
the first language of a
social community
Post -creole
continuum
-A speech continuum
-The spectrum of linguistic
varieties between a creole
and a standard form of the
lexifier.