Module 1:Exploration of language

in relation to Society
 Lesson 1: Why do we need to study Language?
• Language is involved in a wide variety of human’s situations, perhaps every situation. If something
permeated every aspect of human life, and is so complex that we cannot fathom its influence, so we should
.
study it. The scientific study of ;language is one of the keys to understanding much of human behavior.
• The study of language will not in itself solve all the world’s problems. It is useful enough to make people
aware that these problems of language exist and that they are widespread and complex.
• The study of language in society place an important role to examine how people use the language in varied
social context.
• Sociolinguistics explores language in relation to society, this means that, it is concerned with language as
used for communication amongst different social group of people in different social situations (Gerogieva,
2014).
• Sociolinguistics are interested in explaining the following: (1) why we speak differently in social context; (2)
what are the social functions of language; (3) how language is used to convey social meaning.
• Language can provide social information. For example, you would know someone’s status in life, profession
and field of specialization with their word choice and expressions.
 Lesson 1: Why do we say the same thing differently?
EXAMPLE: Every afternoon my friend packs her bag TASK1.
and leaves her office in Southern Wales at about 5 What have you noticed on Margaret’s way of
o’clock. As she leaves, her business partner says responding to people she talked to? Have you observed
goodbye Margaret (she replies goodbye Mike), her any change of word choice and expressions as she
secretary says see you tomorrow (she replies bye Jill), addressed to different people?
and the caretaker says bye Mrs. Walker (to which she Comment down your answer.
responds goodbye Andy ). As she arrives home she is
greeted by hi mum from her daughter, Jenny, hello
dear, have a good day? from her mother, and simply
you’re late again! from her husband. Later in the
evening the president of the local flower club calls to
ask if she would like to join the club. Good evening,
is that Mrs. Billington? she asks. No, it’s Margaret
Walker, but my husband’s name is David Billington,
Margaret answers. What can I do for you? Finally a
friend calls Hello Meg, kumusta?
Lesson 1: Why do we need to study Language?

People

TASK2. Analyze the terms in

Language the illustration given. Why do
you think people speak
differently?

Place Social System

 Lesson 2: Social Factors and Dimensions of Language

Speech varies from one person to another. Some social Social Scales and Dimensions
1. A social distance scale concerned with participant
factors that affect someone’s speech is the participant relationships
himself. Another is the social context or setting where a
speech is spoken, the goal or purpose of the interaction, The social distance scale is used to measure the level of
solidarity amongst participants. Solidarity is the
and the topic which language choice is influenced. dimension that accounts for the level of cooperation and
Georgieva (2014) points out that these social factors may social harmony amongst speakers. It shows how well
occur in clusters and not separately. She further interlocutors know and understand each other. See the
scale below.
enumerates scales which are clusters that are organized  The Solidarity- Social Distance Scale
since its influence on speech is commonly not absolute
(i.e. +/-) but relative (to a bigger or smaller extent). Here Intimate Distant
are some useful scales that we shall often use when we High Solidarity Low Solidarity
discuss speech variation.
 Lesson 2: Social Factors and Dimensions of Language
2. A status scale concerned with participant relationship in 3. A formality scale relating to the setting or type of
terms of social status and position in society interaction
The formality scale refers to the setting, the topic or key of
The status scale is used when such social factors as “social the conversation. The social distance between interlocutors
status” and “power” are involved. Speakers of high social may also exert some influence on the formality of the
interaction. It is also a vertical scale which implies that there
standing are commonly entitled to more power in the
is some power involved.
conversation and will be positioned on the high (“superior^)
end of the scale. Conversely, speakers of low social standing
(due to economic status, lack of education, etc.) will be  The Formality Scale
positioned at the bottom (“subordinate”) end of the scale.
Formal High Formality
 The Status Scale

Superior High Status Informal Low Formality

Subordinate Low Status

 Lesson 2: Social Factors and Dimensions of Language
4. Two referential and affective function scales relating to the purposes or topic of interaction

The last two scales are used to measure the ratio between information content and
speakers’ attitudes or emotions. In general, the more referentially oriented an interaction is,
the less it tends to express the feelings of the speaker. Conversely, the higher the affective
content (attitudes, emotions) the lower the information content of the utterance. So the
referential and affective scales are said to be inversely proportional.

The Referential and Affective Function Scales

Referential Affective
High Low High Low
Information Content Information Content Affective Content Affective Content
 Task3:

1. List at least five situations that language varies.

2. Make a matrix of all the names you are called by people who have
known you. For each name note who uses it to you and when or where.
Do some people call you by more than one name? What are the reasons
why people choose one name rather than another for you?

3. Write down questions that you need me to discuss during our Google
Meet encounter.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING
YOURSELF IN LEARNING
HOW TO LEARN!