SPEECH OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM VRANJE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF URBAN DIALECTOLOGY

Abstract

This paper analyzes speech of children from Vranje, of preschool and school age, by the principles of urban dialectology. Primarily, a frequency of using of dialectical forms of certain language features was determined, by calculating the frequency index (FI), and afterwards was established in which extent was the frequency conditioned by non-linguistic factors – age, gender, education level of both parents, place of living, attending of kindergarten / school. The sample consisted of 40 examinees, preschool and primary school children, of both genders, with different levels of education of parents and different places of living. Analyzed results have shown corruption of dialectical foundation of Prizren-South Morava dialect type in speech of young people from Vranje. All analyzed features have shown variability of form – alternately used in dialectical and standard-language form. First dialectical feature that underwent alteration was doubling of the pronoun object. Large consistency is shown by dialectical placing of accent as well as use of general case. The feature that is most difficult to change in children’s speech is a future tense će-structure. There is, although insignificant, influence of non-linguistic factors on the frequency of dialectical forms. Age is the only non-linguistic variable that does not have an impact to the way of speaking of children from Vranje – different age does not reduce the use of dialectical forms of analyzed language features. The largest influence on the speaking of the examinees has an education of parents, while gender the least.Conducted research provides an insight into speech and language of children, of their speaking habits, and shows which language characteristics are not difficult to be adopted and which are harder to be adopted, which can contribute to an improvement of Serbian language teaching course. Furthermore, it appears as a justified one and significant for further research in the field of urban dialectology.