The contact between languages is one of the various fields investigated by socio-linguistics. Commonly it is thought that monolingualism is the most usual linguistic behaviour but language studies disprove this belief showing that all speech communities and individuals hold a rich linguistic repertoire which may include two or more distinct languages, different varieties of the same language and a wide range of registers, styles, social codes etc.
The concept of linguistic repertoire is not to be intended as a mere sum of linguistic codes since it also concerns the way such codes interact with one another, their hierarchy and the rules running their use. In order to clear up the logic underlying the relations emerging from the steady contact among languages sociolinguistics introduced concepts such as diglossia code-switching, bilingualism, dilalia etc.
In the following essay the focus will essentially be on the difference between the concepts of diglossia and code-switching alongside with the description of some examples supported by an attempt to identify the non-linguistic factors which affect speakers' linguistic choices.
The first scholar to introduce the term diglossia was
…show more content…
A significant example of classic diglossia is the allocation of varieties in the Arabic-speaking world. Classical Arabic is the H variety used for very formal interactions, in writing, university lectures and is revered as the language of the Koran. Whereas for most everyday conversations people use the various regional L varieties. (Holmes 2001: 29) To be acquainted with the principles determining the choice of the appropriate variety in the right context is relevant in so far as it signals the speaker's belonging to and understanding of a linguistic culture . In fact the ignorance of such principles is considered a real social gaffe and is responsible for the stigmatisation of the speakers who are not able to use the H and L
Too view language as if it were an object devoid of its social context would not be seeing language for its creation and use, language is used at its full potential when spoken, language is so important to humans, we use language to express, to think and communicate within the world we live. Language has changed over time, it is thought that at one time we had one original language that was spoken, and “as different human groups spread across the world and communicated only with each other, the original language changed in different ways in different places” (Gee, P,. & Hayes, E. (2011). pg 8), because of these changes, and socialisation of different humans, we now have many diverse human languages. Language has changed and will continue to
The need to learn code-switching can arise from a variety of situations where people are required to become bilingual. There are several reasons to become bilingual. One of those is living in a bilingual community. In her article “From outside in”, Barbara Mellix
Language is a very important and significant part of individuals’ life. It is considered as one of the best device of social behavior. Language is a means with the help of which people communicate and send a social message to one another. But language does have very special characteristics according to which it changes and very depending on many factors. According to the researchers there are no two people who speak identically. Their languages vary as per their geographic location, age, gender, ethnicity, social background etc. many a time, it is observed that even the members from same family speak differently due to differences in their location ( Biber & Conrad, 2014). For example, in my neighborhood, there is a difference in the ways of
Language is used to communicate and convey meaning from one person to another. It is an arbitrary system of sounds and symbols in which it is contextualised and is used to express cultural identity and social relationships. Language can be seen by the way individuals communicate through gestures and facial and body expressions. Language can be heard through voice and attitude (Gee & Hayes, 2011). Language is diverse in the sense that different languages have different words for the same concept. However language allows communication of values and beliefs. Kilickaya (2009) highlights that, ‘English is the best option for people from different backgrounds’. Within Standard English different registers are used to assist communication,
Throughout its history, English has become one of the most spoken languages in the world. This will lead me through the dissemination of the English language and the changes the language has under gone. Until recently, the wide spread use of code-switching, the practice of using and thinking in two different languages is much different than borrowing. Borrowing is a term used to describe using words from other languages by monolinguals of any given language and have been adapted into regular use, as part of an adopted vocabulary. One example
Language attitudes, which include people’s perception about the language variety in their own community and language varieties in other communities, has been one of the crucial topics in sociolinguistics since 1960s.
In this report the reasons why bilingual people switch code is presented, starting with introducing what code switching is, followed by types of code-switching, why bilingual people switch code during a conversation, recommendation, conclusion, and appendix respectively.
Among the most important concepts to emerge are those relating to dialects and language standards. Sociolinguists have documented the presence of dialects in every language. These dialects, all of which are legitimate, are associated with educational, economic, social and historical conditions. Hence, even if an individual scrupulously studies all the possible dictionaries of a random language, he would still be somewhat of a stranger to that language since he is unaware of all the dialectal changes.
Language is the universal connection that brings all humans together. We share this common ground to communicate. The three major points that I would like to focus on are: How does language influence our culture? Does it define us, or does it refine us? And lastly, the impact that language has on our societies.
Talking about “dialects”, a term often mentioned along is “standard language”. When being brought into comparison with “dialect”, “standard language” usually serves as a legitimate variant with the highest level of excellence (Bex & Watts, 1999). Though positive in nature, standardization - the procedure of standardizing a language – often raises heated controversy because of its consequences on not only linguistics field but also the society. In the second part of the essay, I will focus on the disadvantages of language standardization.
In this world, there are a lot of languages used to communicate. Nation and cultural diversity are a source of variation in the languages. The diversity of the language used by a particular group is a factor of the occurrence of bilingualism. According to Grosjean (1984, p. 1) bilingualism is the use of two or more languages. The proficiency of bilingualism may vary depending on the exposure to the other users of language and opportunities to use the language. It is one of the factors of replacement of the language. This phenomenon known as code switching, it can occur as a whole, the incorporating elements of other languages in the language being used, or the turn of a variation of a language. Based on Poplack (1980) theory code switching is the alternation of two languages within a single discourse, sentence or constituent. Garrett (2010, p. 11) said that code switching is the most powerful feature of informal communication. Code switching happens when speakers speak in one language into another language as example when they
For all humans, language is the most common means of communication with others and it enables us to share our experiences and stories and to tell about our needs and feelings. For example, Yamamoto states that sociolinguistics see, it is ‘primarily through the use of language that people communicate with each other’ (1979: 146). We all speak one or more languages and as the main way of communication it is an important and vital part of our lives. There is many languages in the world and they differ from one another in many ways. But does the language we speak reflect to the way we see and experience the world around us? This paper will explore the question through the Sapir Whorf hypothesis and arguments for and against it.
Language plays an important role in society; ‘it provides an important tool for conveying social identities and contributes to the relationship building process’ (East, 2008). It defines us by ethnic appearance, age, gender and classifies societal status (East, 2008). Yet the one language that has spread globally to more than 62 nations, reaching 2 billion people and is
The study of sociolinguistics has become interesting due to the scope of its study is very wide. Its study is not only about the study of the language itself but also the context where the language is being used and the society who use the language. Therefore, there are many aspects that can be taken into consideration when the study of sociolinguistics is going to conducted. Those aspects are the social context as well as social factors including social distance, social status, age, gender and class. Furthermore, a language also appears varieties such as dialects, registers, and genres.
Through looking at patterns of social interaction of different languages it is easy to predict the linguistic results of language contact. This could be seen through multilingualism which is a result of language contact between multiple different languages. Multilingualism can create diglossia which helps display the multilingualism of a country or community and helps show it is useful for predicting the results of language contact. Code switching in which people switch from one language to another depending on the situation, helps show how social interaction between speakers of different languages helps us predict the linguistic results of language contact. Then there is dialect levelling and language change which helps show the beginning