戴煒棟英語語言學概論Chapter 8

1、Chapter 8Language and SocietyWhat is sociolinguistics?oSociolinguistics is the sub-field of linguistics that studies the relation between language and society, between the uses of language and the social structures in which the users of language live.Main tasks:oThe scope of sociolinguisticsoVarieti

2、es of languageoStandard dialectoPidgin and CreoleoBilingualism and diglossiaThe scope of sociolinguistics oThe relatedness between language and society (語言和社會的相關(guān)性)oSpeech community and speech variety (言語社區(qū)和言語變體)oTwo approaches to sociolinguistic studies (社會語言學的兩種研究方法) The relatedness between languag

3、e and societyoLanguage is used to establish and maintain social relationship. oUsers of the same language speak differently due to their different social background. oLanguage reflects both the physical and social environments of a society. oLanguage is closely related to the structure of the societ

4、y. Speech community and speech variety 言語社區(qū)和言語變體oThe social group that is singled out for any special study is called the speech community. oSpeech variety, or language variety, refers to any distinguishable form of speech used by a speaker or a group of speakers. Two approaches to sociolinguistic s

5、tudies oMacro-sociolinguistics: to look at society as a whole and consider how language functions in it and how it reflects the social differentiations, i.e. a birds-eye view of the languages used in society. 將社會看作一個整體，考察語言是如何在其中運作的，以及他是如何反映社會差異的，即對社會中所使用的語言的一個總觀。 oMicro-sociolinguistics: to look at

6、 society from the point of view of an individual member within it, or a worms-eye view of language in use. 從其中的個體成員的角度來觀察社會，或?qū)κ褂弥械恼Z言作一個具體的詳細的觀察。 Varieties of language 語言變體oDialectal varieties (方言變體)oRegister (語域)oDegree of formality (正式度)Dialectal varieties (方言變體)oRegional dialect (地域方言)oSociolect (

7、社會方言)oLanguage and gender (語言與性別)oLanguage and age (語言和年齡)oIdiolect (個人方言)oEthnic dialect (種族方言)Regional dialect (地域方言)oA regional dialect is a linguistic variety used by people living in the same geographical region. Sociolect (社會方言)oSocial-class dialect, or sociolect, refers to the linguistic vari

8、ety characteristic of a particular social class. oAccent is an important marker of sociolect. Language and gender (語言與性別)oWomens speech closely approaches the standard variety than the speech of men. oMale and female speeches are also found to be different in the use of intonations. oGender differen

9、tiations is also reflected in the use of certain lexical items. Language and age oLanguage used by the old generation differs from that used by the younger generation in certain ways. oThe most striking difference is found at the lexical level (詞匯層). Idiolect (個人方言個人方言)oIdiolect is a personal dialec

10、t of an individual speaker that combines elements regarding regional, social, gender, and age variations. Ethnic dialect (種族方言)oBlack English is just another non-standard variety of English. oBlack English has its own features at the phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical level.Linguist

11、ic Features of Black EnglishoThe simplification of consonant clusters at the end of a word;oThe deletion of the link verb “be”;oThe use of double negation construction.oExamples: P116.Register (語域)oLanguage varies with the user and it also varies with the circumstances under which it is used. o A co

12、mpetent native speaker of a language is in possession of a variety of ways in using the language. The totality of linguistic varieties possessed by an individual constitutes his linguistic repertoire (語言變體庫). Hallidays register theory o “Language varies as its function varies; it differs in differen

13、t situations.” “語言隨其功能而變；因其場合而異”.oThe type of language which is selected as appropriate to the type of situation is a register.oThree social variables that determine the register: field of discourse (語場), tenor of discourse (語旨), and mode of discourse (語式). Field of discourse (語場)oField of discourse

14、 refers to what is going on: to the area of operation of the language activity. (purpose and subject)o The field of a register determines to a great extent the vocabulary to be used in communication and it also determines the phonological and grammatical features of the language. Tenor of discourse

15、(語旨)oTenor of discourse refers to the role of relationship in the situation in question: who the participants and in what relationship they stand to each other. oIt, to a great extent, determines the level of formality and the level of technicality of the language we use. Mode of discourse (語式)oMode

16、 of discourse mainly refers to the means of communication. It is concerned with “how” communication is carried out. oExample: P118.Degree of formality (正式程度)oAn American linguist Martin Joos, distinguishes five stages of formality, namely, 1. intimate, 2. casual 3. consultative 4. formal 5. frozen.

17、oExample：P119.Standard dialect (標準方言)oThe standard variety is a superimposed (強制性的), socially prestigious dialect of a language. oThe standard dialect is a particular variety of a language which any member of a speech community can possibly use regardless of his social and geographical backgrounds,

18、his gender and age. Pidgin and Creole 洋涇浜語和克里奧耳語 (混雜語) oA pidgin is a special language variety that mixes or blends languages and it is used by people who speak different languages for restricted purposes such as trading. oWhen a pidgin has become the primary language of a speech community, and is a

19、cquired by the children of that speech community as their native language, it is said to have become a Creole.Features of PidginoIt has a limited vocabulary and much reduced or simplified grammar and serves restricted functions, such as trading and employment.Bilingualism and diglossia雙語現(xiàn)象和雙語 oIn some speech communities, two languages are used side by side with each having a different role to play.o The term diglossia, first used by Ferguson in 1959, refers to a sociolinguistic situation similar to bilingualism. But instead of two diff