Sociolinguistic Perspective Research Articles

Stancetaking in spoken ELF discourse in academic settings: interpersonal functions of I don’t know as a face-maintaining strategy

Our study examines interpersonal functions enacted through a stance marker in spoken ELF academic discourse. We specifically focus on investigating the functions of I don’t know in an academic speech event by embracing an interpersonal pragmatics and sociolinguistics perspective to figure out how it contributes to the act of stancetaking as an intersubjective activity. We have examined 14 interactions of doctoral defense discussions from the ELFA corpus. Our detailed discourse analysis of these doctoral defense discussions has revealed five distinctive interpersonal functions of the stance marker I don’t know allowing speakers to construct their stance and adopt a face-maintaining strategy in the ongoing spoken discourse: prefacing a suggestion, seeking acceptance, hedging/mitigating, checking agreement, and expressing uncertainty. Considering the highly-context dependent and context-regenerated functions of I don’t know, our study attempts to delve into the relational and interpersonal aspect of communication, and thus contributes to research in this strand by disclosing the interpersonal functions of stancetaking as an intersubjective activity with a particular focus on ELF academic discourse.

French partial interrogatives: a microdiachronic corpus study of variation and new perspectives in a refined pragmatics framework

Abstract In this paper we report and analyse data from the ESLO corpus of oral French, constituted during two time periods (1960–2010), allowing for an in-depth exploration of French partial interrogatives under a refined sociolinguistic perspective. With an original methodology for extracting the data we were able to create several subcorpora based on age of the speakers, interactive context and time period. The combination of all the data and the use of raw frequencies as well as Bayesian modeling shed new light on the variation available to French native speakers as to how they can structure a partial interrogative (position of the interrogative element, verb-subject inversion, “est-ce que” idiom). This variation has evolved throughout the 20th century, and both the social group (age) of the speaker and perceived characteristics of the context of interaction combine in different ways to weigh on what type of partial interrogative people will use.

Investigation of the Language Usage of Hmong Ethnic People in the Northwest (Tây Bắc) Region of Vietnam - A Case Study in Bắc Yên, Sơn La province

The linguistics research in general and in particular, sociolinguistic study of ethnic minorities in Vietnam is a fascinating topic, but is also a very complicated subject in term of some typical reasons. The complication of the subject is originated from the objective reasons such as natural conditions, social and economic conditions and some other subjective reasons which belong to subjective of languages-the ethnic minorities. Hence, when considering the language scenarios of the ethnic minorities in general and the status of using language of ethnic people in particular, the selection of research subject and survey area are very important. Discussing on this subject, author Van Khang Nguyen in his work “Social linguistics” has speculated that: “first of all, one can see that the key point of the perception when investigating language from the perspective of sociolinguistics is the sociability and the variability of language.” The birth of language is the development need of human society and the development of the human society leads to the development of language which aims to meet the need of communication. Therefore, when studying language, the sociolinguistics always set the relationship between social transformations with the language usage. In our case study, the Hmong people in Bắc Yên district is an ethnic group with many typical characteristics for Hmong in Sơn La province as well as in the Northwest region of Vietnam. Currently, the language of Hmong people in Bắc Yên raises quite topical questions. For example, it is important to understand how Hmong people use their native language, national language and foreign language at the same time in their daily activities. How do Hmong people use Hmong writing system in their communication situation? What is their attitude with their language? The above-mentioned questions urged us to carry out a case study on the language usage status of Hmong people in the Northwest Vietnam.

Variation and third age: A sociolinguistic perspective

AbstractThe correlation between external factors such as age, gender, ethnic group membership and language variation is one of the stalwarts of sociolinguistic theory. The repertoire of individual members of speaker groups, vis-à-vis community-wide variation, represents a somewhat slippery ground for developing and testing models of variation and change and has been researched with reference to accommodation (Bell 1984), style shifting (Rickford, John R. & MacKenzie Price. 2013. Girlz II women: Age-grading, language change and stylistic variation.Journal of Sociolinguistics17. 143–179) and language change generally (Labov, William. 2001.Principles of linguistic change, vol. 2: Social factors. Oxford: Blackwell). This paper presents and assesses some first quantitative evidence that non-mobile older speakers from Tristan da Cunha, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, who grew up in an utterly isolated speech community, vary and shift according to external interview parameters (interviewer, topic, place of interview). However, while they respond to the formality of the context, they display variation (both regarding speakers and variables) that is not in line with the constraints attested elsewhere. These findings are assessed with focus on the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence in third-age speakers (particularly style-shifting, Labov, William. 1964. Stages in the acquisition of Standard English. In Roger Shuy, Alva Davis & Robert Hogan (eds.),Social Dialects and Language Learning, 77–104. Champaign: National Council of Teachers of English) and across the life-span generally.

Languages in contact: sociolinguistic perspectives

FOREWORD: Languages in contact: sociolinguistic perspectives

Review of Extra & Gorter (2001): The other languages of Europe: demographic, sociolinguistic and educational perspectives

Review of Extra & Gorter (2001): The other languages of Europe: demographic, sociolinguistic and educational perspectives

Dead, but Won’t Lie Down? Grammatical Gender among Norwegians

This paper examines grammatical gender from the sociolinguistic perspective. The question pursued is to what extent exponents of grammatical gender are tied indexically to identity categories. Building on literature and corpus data, I claim that within the Norwegian context, grammatical gender is associated with sociolinguistic dimensions such as the urban/rural distinction, political views, class, ethnicity. The traditional three-gender system is being replaced by a two-gender system in several dialects, resulting in the loss of the feminine gender. Indexical values associated with the feminine gender features are still valid, though, and some forms take on new pragmatic functions. Once grammatical gender is viewed through a sociolinguistic lens, with the agency of speakers being recognized, it becomes clear that it may not be fully understood without taking into account the context of interaction at a micro-level, and the sociohistorical characteristics of—for instance—regions with language contact at a macro-level.*

Reclaiming Language! Reclaiming Life!

This essay is part of a larger legacy project entitled “Retracing My Steps”. The legacy project is my response to a recent challenge from a professor from my undergraduate years at the University of Western Ontario, who observed that it was important that I consider what he referred to as launching my legacy in Anti-Racist education. These reflections capture key elements of my practice and in particular, the conscious use of language from a sociolinguistic perspective.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Multilingual Families from a Sociolinguistic Perspective

The unprecedented situation caused by the sudden worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus, with the introduction of safety measures as a consequence, changed many aspects of life of families raising children multilingually. With empirical data from 157 international families interviewed via an online survey, in the present paper, we addressed the significant repercussions that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to their daily routines from a sociolinguistic perspective and investigated their use of languages during the lockdown(s). As for a preliminary evaluation of the impact of the safety measures on the linguistic situation at home, according to 68 families the COVID-19 pandemic had generally a positive influence on the knowledge and distribution of languages spoken by children, 49 observed an overall negative effect, 33 interviewed families said that there were no significant changes in their households due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 7 respondents admitted that it was still too early to assess the consequences of the global health emergency on their language situation at home. It should be highlighted that different families adopted different strategies to cope with the new circumstances caused by quarantining, lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, prolonged self isolation, social distancing, school closures, switching to remote learning, travel bans, and other restrictions. In many cases it was necessary for the parents to introduce a new family language policy, to implement new strategies, to use alternative and additional educational resources, to find solutions to new challenges, needs, tasks, and difficulties emerged under the new circumstances. Based on the research outcomes it was possible to gather advice, recommendations, good practices, helpful ideas and valuable tips voiced by the interviewed parents. The findings of the study may be of theoretical interest to linguists researching different aspects of multilingualism, and of practical interest to parents growing or planning to grow a multilingual family.

The Causes of the Distribution of Jian and Tuan Sounds in Linzhou Dialect

Based on the field investigation and combined with previous studies, this thesis makes a comprehensive description of the variation and distribution of jian and tuan sounds in Linzhou dialect. On this basis, the causes of the distribution are further explored from the perspective of sociolinguistics. Through the multidimensional investigation of the subjects and the general analysis of social and cultural factors, it is found that jian and tuan sounds are in the trend of merger and such a trend will continue to develop in the future. Besides, it is also found that the dialects in neighboring places as well as the impact of Standard Mandarin play a very important role in the merger progress.

La lengua de los sefardíes: del contexto de los Balcanes al contexto del multilingüismo en el territorio israelí

In this paper we deal with the language of Sephardic Jews, Judeo-Spanish, from the perspective of sociolinguistics, emphasizing the facets necessary for the language maintenance. The general aim of the paper is to analyze the presence and the role of this language in majority and minority social communities in the contexts of the Balkans and the Israeli territory, while the specific aim is to examine which domains of language use were crucial for its maintenance within society. The ultimate goal of this research is to draw attention to the importance of maintaining this minority language as an important part of Sephardic culture and universal culture as well. We conduct this sociolinguistic research through the analysis of the available literature, relevant books and articles on Judeo-Spanish. The results of the conducted research have led us to the conclusion that, except the native speakers’ support which is also very important, support for the language in the public domain is crucial for the language maintenance and survival within society.

Exploring the Sociolinguistic Aspects of Sinhala-English Code-Mixing among Urban Sri Lankan Bilingual Speakers

Language mixing has become a natural phenomenon in the spoken discourse of the urban Sinhalese-English bilinguals today. This study examines how and why they mix codes from a sociolinguistic perspective and analyzes the structural properties of such code-mixing (CM) found in their speech. This study follows a descriptive qualitative method. This is qualitative since this depends on data that include words, phrases and sentences and is descriptive since it provides an accurate factual description of a setting. The sample comprised 30 bilinguals from the employed bilingual population in the main urban city of Sri Lanka due to their frequent use of the mixed-code in conversation. For a comprehensive analysis of the sociolinguistic aspects of the respondents’ speech, a sociolinguistic questionnaire based on the four discourse strategies: foregrounding, nativization, hybridization, and neutralization as proposed by Kachru (1978/1983/1986) was used. For the structural analysis, their spontaneous speech was recorded, and the framework of Muysken (2000): insertion, alternation, and congruent lexicalization (CL) was used. The findings report that this mixed-variety has evolved due to CM and is undoubtedly the preferred code for expressing neutralization of attitudes in speech. Further, their language choice seems to have been influenced by the age. Structurally, this discussion proves insertion as the major CM strategy in the bilinguals’ spoken variety, while CL is the least used. From a pedagogical perspective, this study proposes CM as a possible communicative strategy to promote interaction among students in the second language learning-teaching context in Sri Lanka.

Peace Promotion through Hausa Proverbs: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Peace Promotion through Hausa Proverbs: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Variation in ethnonym-based names of clothing items in Russian dialects: a cultural and sociolinguistic study

Though modern linguistics pays great attention to the theory of nomination, in particular to the study of thematic groups, the dialectic names of clothing items are among the least commonly investigated types of words. Indeed, no one to the best of our knowledge has addressed the question of ethnonym and toponym-based names of clothes in a variety of Russian dialects. The aim of the present study is to broaden current knowledge of the given issue. The core problem of the given paper is the nominative models of the ethnonym and toponym-contained names of clothing items in Russian dialects and their analysis from cultural and sociolinguistic perspectives. Based on numerous examples, the authors single out the major nominative models of clothing vocabulary and come to the conclusion that word combinations are a striking feature of the Russian dialects since they more accurately specify the object.

Sociolinguistic perspective on varieties of English: implications for teaching

The article explores the issue of language standardisation and sociolinguistic roots of varieties of English. It answers the question why some varieties of the English language become recognised as „standard” whereas other varieties are regarded as less prestigious or inferior and advocates the importance of sociolinguistic competence for teachers. Two models of language standardisation (the „popular” and the „expert” model) are critically discussed, providing a detailed explanation of the process of language standardisation and the formation of standard language ideology. The most frequently described variety of English in the UK, the Received Pronunciation, is described in greater detail, tracking down the reason why it has become recognised as the "standard" variety. A strong standard ideology with World Englishes and the current position of regional variations of English as its „deficient” or „fossilized” versions is discussed. The notions of language system and language use are considered in relation to the superiority or inferiority of different varieties. It has been shown that the social component is pivotal in understanding why certain varieties are regarded as less prestigious or inferior despite having equally rich and complex language systems. Such factors as stereotypes and ownership have an impact on their status too. The article proceeds to the discussion of implications of these sociolinguistic aspects for teaching. The importance of teachers' critical awareness of sociolinguistic realities is emphasised. Such benefits of raising students' awareness of varieties of English are presented: avoiding or reducing misunderstandings and misinterpretations in foreign language communication, recognising linguistic and cultural diversity, demonstrating relevance to real-life situations. Specific examples of practising language varieties are given.

A Sociolinguistic Perspective on the Increasing Relevance of the English Language: A Study Conducted among Youngsters

This study analyses the future status of the English language in the post COVID 19 world. The study was conducted by distributing survey questionnaires among 200 young graduates who interact in the English language in fields like business, education, social media and cultural activities. A five-point Likert scale, percentage analysis, graphical analysis and average of the weighted mean were used to analyze the data collected. The analysis revealed that the post-COVID 19 phase will see an unprecedented increase in the usage and spread of English across the globe. In the realm of education, theoretical subjects will be taught in English more than today. Within 30 years, there will be social domains in the world where English is used more than other prominent languages. Many other popular languages will vanish from the globe. Among the basic four factors viz., the relevance of the English language in youngsters’ day to day life, educational realm, cultural domain and business sphere taken for the study, it is observed that English will be used vastly in the realm of basic education. Although English will not displace other languages in the world, it will become the language of cultural advancement. The set of values that come with English will not destroy other cultures but people will have to gain a thorough knowledge in the usage of English to remain updated. The post-COVID 19 world will also witness an increase in the usage of English in the lifestyle of youngsters and in the cultural domain.

跨文化社会语言学视域下翻译策略的建模研究

跨文化社会语言学视域下翻译策略的建模研究

Street renaming in Chernihiv from sociolinguistic perspective

Background. The article focuses on socio-onomastic aspects of street renaming that took place in Chernihiv from 1991 up to 2020. The research shows some specific features of the decommunization process, specifically the issues of soviet street names elimination in the city.Purpose. The objective of this article is to present a comprehensive investigation of the recent changes in the toponymic landscape of Chernihiv. The study aims to identify the key criteria for street names selection as well as to specify some problems related to it.Methods. The research made use of comparative and descriptive methods. Additionally, the elements of statistical and biographical analysis were applied.Results. The findings of this study reveal that the toponymic landscape of the city has been undergoing a process of linguistic and mental decolonization, enabled by the set of decommunization laws. The research provides insights into techniques of replacing ideological soviet toponyms with the new ones. They include the usage of semantically neutral onyms, emphasis on the local history, and lack of references to historical figures who are considered ambiguous in society. Furthermore, a number of soviet markers which did not fall under decommunization are detected to be functioning nowadays.Discussion. The research suggests that the toponymic system of Chernihiv requires more attention due to its long history of russification and the borderland location. Currently, further changes in the local linguistic landscape are mostly prevented by local authorities; additionally, the revision of soviet street names is not supported by the senior generation of citizens who feel nostalgic for the USSR.Manuscript received 28.08.2020

Sociocultural stereotypes in cross-cultural communication

The relationship between language and culture has long been the subject of fierce debates among philosophers, linguists and social scientists. In spite of Chomsky’s theory about an innate biological basis for language and Steven Pinker’s concept of language instinct, language use, however, is social, so the idea of a biological language instinct seems to be controversial from the perspective of sociolinguistics. The concept of “linguistic worldview” refers to the cognitive function of language. Human beings have the ability to communicate with one another by means of a system of conventional signs, which refers to classes of phenomena in an extra-linguistic reality. Thus, a certain cognitive view of the world, its categorisation and conceptualisation of the identified phenomena are encoded in the human mind. People who identify themselves as members of a social group acquire common ways of viewing the world through their interactions with other members of that same group. Common attitudes, beliefs and values are reflected in the way all members of the group use language, i.e. what they choose to say or not to say and how they say it. The view of the world, established in a language, is not identical to any encyclopaedic knowledge of the world. The present paper is a general overview of stereotypes as part and parcel of the linguistic worldview that influence on cross-cultural communication. Most definitions characterize a stereotype as a schematic, standardized, constant, conventional, nationally dependant phenomenon and the last feature is especially important for cross-cultural communication. Some claim that stereotypes can cause problems in cross-cultural communication as they concentrate on generalized simplified perceptions about a certain nation. Others consider that stereotypes can play a positive role in cross-cultural communication since they help people to acquire basic knowledge about another nation. The ongoing cultural globalization, however, determines certain changes in the principles of interaction of different types of intertextual encyclopediae and reveals the necessity to reconsider the kind of cultural and sociological competence required nowadays. The author hypothesized that stereotypes of consciousness, being psychological phenomena, correlate with sociolinguistic phenomena — language cliches, linguistic specific words and expressions that manifest themselves in communication through different associations. The experiment conducted in Russia and in Italy among bilinguals clearly showed the dominance in the communicative behavior of native encyclopedic code that may be the main cause of misunderstanding in cross-icultural communication.

Transatlantic linguistic ties: The impact of Jamaican on African youth language practices

AbstractThis contribution seeks to shed light on global dimensions of language contact and language change with regard to African youth languages. Looking at the influences of Jamaican speech forms on youth language practices in Africa, the focus will be on transatlantic linguistic ties that link Africa and its Diaspora. As the case studies will illustrate, Jamaican has a huge impact on youths in Africa and is used extensively in their communicative practices. Music, in this regard, plays an important role: Reggae and Dancehall music are highly popular in many (especially Anglophone) African countries, and these Jamaican music genres are quite influential with regard to language practices among African youth and beyond. Music thus represents an important site of language contact, and also serves as a means to learn the Jamaican language. In our paper we will draw on examples from different African countries to illustrate the wide spread of Jamaican influences. Our focus will be on case studies in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa and the Gambia. We will discuss selected song examples from a sociolinguistic perspective that takes these various language practices as a base and then looks at the contexts and motivations for the use of Jamaican speech forms.