The document discusses how attitudes to language reflect social and political factors, highlighting the concepts of overt and covert prestige associated with language use. It emphasizes the dominance of standard English and its impact on education and social success, particularly in relation to African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and its perceived disadvantages in academic settings. Additionally, it explains 'language deficit' and its contributing factors, as well as the significant consequences it has on academic performance, social interaction, and employment opportunities.

1. Sociolinguistic
and Education Group 5

2. attitudes to language
Ultimately attitudes to language reflect attitudes to the users and the
uses of language.There is nothing intrinsically beautiful or correct about
any particular sound
Attitudes to language are strongly influenced by social and political
factors. Language varieties have indexing properties, which all members
of the community are aware of. Language planners must take account of
attitudes when they select a suitable language for development as an
official or national language.

3. types of attitudes to language
overt and covert prestige
overt refers to This refers to the social status or value that is
publicly recognized and widely accepted in a community or
society. People who speak in a way that aligns with the standard
language norms or dialects considered prestigious in a society.
They will gain overt prestige.
example, in many English-speaking countries, the standard dialect
might be associated with higher social status or education. So,
using this standard dialect could bring overt prestige.

4. In other hand, covert Prestige means when the social status or
value that is less publicly recognized but holds significance
within specific groups or communities. It's associated with non-
standard or stigmatized forms of language. In some social groups
or communities, speaking in a way that differs from the standard
or prestige dialect might actually be considered prestigious
within that group. For instance, using regional dialects, certain
slang, or non-standard grammar could grant covert prestige
among a specific community, like a group of friends or a
particular neighborhood.

5. attitudes to standard english and rp
Standard English has an enormous legacy of overt
prestige. It has been regarded as a symbol of British
nationhood, as the quotations in example 6 indicate. For
well over a century, it has been promoted as the only
acceptable variety for use in all official domains,
including education. By comparison, vernacular dialects of
English are down graded. The political and social basis of
these attitudes is clearly evident, however, when we
remember that the elite consensus until at least the
eighteenth century was that English was a decidedly
inferior language, less eloquent than Latin or Greek, or
even than French and Italian. Prestige codes emerge by
social consensus and owe nothing to their intrinsic
linguistic features. While there is general agreement on
the inferior status of vernacular dialects (whatever

6. attitudes to vernacular
forms of english
AAVE is a prime example of a language variety which is so
politically ‘hot’ that it has been constantly labelled and re-
labelled. Many African American parents were unconvinced of the
benefits of using AAVE and concerned that the time would be
better devoted to acquiring SAE. Their letters to the newspapers
and contributions on talk-back and call-in shows expressed fears
that the use of AAVE in schools was just another strategy for
preventing their children from achieving educational
success. On the other hand, many successful African Americans
asserted the importance of maintaining and giving status to AAVE,
and of resisting attempts by the majority group to
impose SAE on everyone.
African American Vernacular English
(AAVE)

7. Sociolinguistic and education
Vernacular dialects and educational disadvantage
It has been evident for some time that in many speech
communities middle-class children do better at school than
working-class children. They get better exam results, for
instance. Similarly, though there are some exceptions, children
from the mainstream culture generally have greater success in
school than minority group children. In English-speaking
communities, these facts have often been misleadingly linked to
the fact that children from the successful groups tend to use
more standard dialect forms – they use standard English – while
the speech of children from the less successful groups often
includes a greater frequency of vernacular forms.

8. language deficit
The term "language deficit" in sociolinguistics and
education refers to a perceived or actual lack or
delay in language development, proficiency, or
communication skills in individuals or groups
compared to expected standards or norms. This
deficit can manifest in various forms and contexts,
impacting academic, social, and professional aspects
of life

9. factors and impact of language deficit
SEVERAL FACTORS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO LANGUAGE DEFICITS:
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS: CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES
MIGHT HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO LANGUAGE-ENRICHING RESOURCES,
IMPACTING THEIR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT.
EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT: INADEQUATE EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT OR
RESOURCES IN SCHOOLS CAN LEAD TO LANGUAGE DEFICITS AMONG
STUDENTS.
LANGUAGE EXPOSURE: LIMITED EXPOSURE TO A RICH LINGUISTIC
ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY IN BILINGUAL OR MULTILINGUAL SETTINGS,
MIGHT AFFECT LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.
NEURODEVELOPMENTAL CONDITIONS: SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY FACE
CHALLENGES DUE TO SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES OR
NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS AFFECTING LANGUAGE SKILLS.

10. factors and impact of language deficit
LANGUAGE DEFICITS CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES:
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: INDIVIDUALS WITH LANGUAGE DEFICITS MAY
STRUGGLE ACADEMICALLY, AFFECTING THEIR READING, WRITING, AND
COMPREHENSION ABILITIES.
SOCIAL INTERACTION: DIFFICULTIES IN COMMUNICATION MIGHT IMPACT
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND INTEGRATION WITHIN COMMUNITIES.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: LANGUAGE DEFICITS CAN POSE BARRIERS
IN SECURING CERTAIN JOBS THAT REQUIRE STRONG COMMUNICATION
SKILLS.

11. thank you for the attention
If you have any question, just raise your
hand :D