Sociolinguistics 2020 Midterm

Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY

Graduate School Department
Tandag City, Main Campus
Name: GILBERT JAPOS CONDE S.Y: 2019-2020

Subject: Elective – Sociolinguistics Semester: 2nd
Professor: Dr. ABUNDIO MIRALLES Examination: Midterm
I- DISCUSSION. Expound the following:
1. Some scholars argue that the subject of sociolinguistics overlaps with that of linguistics
since speech is a social behavior and to study it without reference t0 society would be
like studying courtship behavior without relating the behavior of one partner to that of
the other (Hudson 1971).
- Generally, linguistics is the study of human language while sociolinguistics

focuses on the relationship between language use and the society, for instance,
how the society affect people’s language use or how people use language as a
force to influence the society.
- Scholars claimed that sociolinguistics and linguistics overlap with each other
because speech is a social behavior. In a deeper sense, each of them has different
functions in terms of learning/acquiring and using language to specific purpose.
The aim of linguistics is to determine the properties of natural language. It
investigates languages as to how and why these are set this way. While
sociolinguistics believe that language exists in context, dependent on who is the
speaker, where it is being used and why.
- Nevertheless, sociolinguistics and linguistics must be in compact because one
cannot learn or acquire a specific of a particular place or societal situation if one
do not have prior understanding on the language structure.
2. Language and society may influence each other. This influence is considered to be
dialectical in nature, i.e. that speech behavior and social behavior are in a state of
constant interaction’ and that ‘material living conditions’ are an important factor in the
relationship (Dittmar 1976).
- Language and society influence each other in a way that your linguistic structure
could determine your social structure or the other way around. Hence, language
and society must always have a good relationship in understanding, acquiring,
and using it.
- Several studies have shown that social structure and linguistic structure come
together include personal, stylistic, social, sociocultural and sociological aspects.
- Moreover, Del Hymes has pointed out that specific points of connection between
language and society must be discovered and these must be related within
theories that throw light on how linguistic and social sturctures interact.
3. There are different ways of exploring language. Name one (1) and give situations.
- One of the ways in exploring languages is through SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS.

- Less obvious sociocultural influences are found in the use of conversational
implicatures. Examples below:
 When an American says “Why not?”, it means, “Let’s give it a try and see if it
works. If it does, fine, if not, well, we did our best.” When a Russian or
Moldovan says these words, it means, “ I told you before that your idea won’t
work, but seeing that you persist in bringing it up, we’ll try it. But when it fails,
as it must, don’t blame me.”
 (West African English) “How de body? ( How are you?)
 (Singaporean English – Singlish) Got coffer or not? Got! You have milk, is it?
Also have. Join me, don’t shy!
4. Under the social factors, status scale was mentioned. Give its illustration and explain.
- Status scale is one of the social factors and dimensions in speech variation which
is concerned with participant relationship in terms of social status ad position in
the society.
- The status scale is used when speakers of social standing are entitled to more
power in the conversation and positioned on the high scale while speakers of low
social standing will be positioned at the bottom.
- A conversation between the “Boss and Housemaid” is an example of status scale.
The boss is entitled to dominate the conversation while the housemaid will just
listen and answer if asked. With that, due housemaid low social standing, he/she
is positioned at the bottom end of the scale. An illustration is presented below:
BOSS HIGH STATUS
HOUSEMAID LOW STATUS
5. Cultural differences may often be made manifest in behavioral patterns that reflect on
people’s communication styles.
- Culture is reflected in the behavior of an individual which manifest people’s

communication styles. As reviewed, sociolinguistics is concerned more on how
people communicate in a specific societal situation. Therefore, one’s culture is a
factor on how a person communicate because the goal is to deliver understanding
of the context using the communication style based on one’s culture.
- Cultural differences have always impacted how people handle situations such as
conflicts, completing tasks, decision making, disclosure, and knowing. How a
person deals with these depend on its culture and communication style.
However, a good foundation of language structures, its functions, is empirical

regardless of cultural differences.
6. Language change accounts for the fact that language is always in flux. The English
language today is not the same as it was 100 years ago or 400 years ago.
- Formal theories of language attempt to determine the structure of language as a

fixed set of rules or principles but language changes perpetually so structure must
be fluid. Hence, issues concerning language structure sound difficult to resolve
with the fact that languages changes over time.
- Variation analysis is important because as time passes, language change and to
identify its function and structure, one must analyze its variation. What is trend
language today will be replaced with a new trend language as time changes.
7. In order to ‘tap the vernacular’ a vital component of variation analysis requires that the
analyst immerse herself in the speech community, entering it both as an observer and a
participant.
- Relationship between language and social class has been studied by an American
linguist William Labov (1996) who used linguistic variables to investigate
differences between accents.
- To tap the vernacular, one must immerse to the speech community as observer
and participant. Meaning, if your goal is to learn the language (vernacular) of a
particular community, one must mingle, communicate, and even live to that
community to tap community’s language.
- One cannot acquire the vernacular if not experience at hand as language used
differs from community to community, culture to culture, and people to people.
- Example, the pronunciation of “r” when it occurs after a vowel- as in bar, sort,
churn, is different form how it is pronounced across the English-speaking world
like British, Scottish, irish, Cornish, West Country, East Anglian and
Northumbrian.

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Republic of the Philippines

SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY

Name: GILBERT JAPOS CONDE S.Y: 2019-2020

I- DISCUSSION. Expound the following:

- Generally, linguistics is the study of human language while sociolinguistics

- One of the ways in exploring languages is through SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS.

BOSS HIGH STATUS

HOUSEMAID LOW STATUS

- Culture is reflected in the behavior of an individual which manifest people’s

However, a good foundation of language structures, its functions, is empirical

- Formal theories of language attempt to determine the structure of language as a

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