Module 6: Sociolinguistics

What is the relationship between society and language? In this Module you will see what sociolinguistics is all about.

Introduction to Sociolinguistics

Sociolinguistics focuses on the social context, on social structures and processes, in which language, the usage of a language and language ideology are relevant.

Lesson 1: Language Contact

In this module, we present an overview of the variety of outcomes of language contact, that is, what happens when speakers of different languages (or varieties of it) interact intensively.

Lesson 2: Dialectology

In this lesson we will have a closer look at dialectology, learning how language varies across regions and social groups.

Lesson 3: Language and Identity

One area of sociolinguistics that plays into many other areas of the field is the connection between language and identity.

In this lesson, you will gain insight into this sub-area and you will reflect on your own language use and identity.

Lesson 4: Language Ideology

In this lesson you will learn what language ideology is and how it influences the way we judge people according to how they speak, what ideas and prejudices are connected with language.

Final Quiz

Test what you have learned by answerig these questions:

1. Give an instance of language divergence.

2. Do you think English Creoles should still be considered English or new languages?

3. Name a feature in which people’s speech can vary and name your own example.

4. In your own words explain what mutual intelligibility refers to.

5. Imagine an old woman tells you her life story. She explains that she lived her whole life in London and never left the city for more than a short vacation. While she tells you everything about her life, something strikes you as somewhat funny. You notice that the woman speaks in a broad American English accent.

Try to describe the situation with the linguistic terms you just learned (cultural identity, narration, coherence).
Can you find an explanation for the behavior of the old woman?

6. What can the consequences of language ideology look like?

7. Can you think of an example of language ideology in a film or a series?