Unit 10
Sociolinguistics: Language and Society

Overview

The preceding units contained several references to linguistic variations, that is, patterned variation in the ways that different groups of speakers of the same language describe an object or express a relationship or idea. Unit 10 examines the ways in which these linguistic variations are related to the social context in which they are produced—in other words, the field of sociolinguistics. The discussion in Unit 10 focuses on the relationship between language and society, and the constraints on communication mandated by larger society.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

1. define the following terms
   • speech community
   • diglossia
   • bilingualism
   • phatic communion
   • idiolect
   • dialect
   • isogloss
   • code-switching
   • lingua franca
   • pidgin
   • creole
   • slang
   • jargon
   • argot
   • linguistic taboos
2. describe the best source of information on status in a new community.
3. discuss the role of language as a symbol of national and ethnic identity.
4. describe the asymmetries based on gender in English.
5. list the obstacles in creating an artificial language for all peoples.
6. outline the social variables that influence speech.
7. distinguish differences in speech according to age differences from differences in speech according to gender.
8. assess the validity of stereotypes based on gender.