Sociolinguistics

October 29, 2008

Sociolinguistics: Methods

1. Observation 2. Observation of a small group over a period

of time 3. Interview 4. Surveys and questionnaires 5. Accent Judgment Test 6. Language attitude studies 7. Role-playing 8. Discourse Completion Tests

6. Language Attitude Studies

How do you conduct language attitude studies?

examine what people think about certain dialects and why they think it

examine what effect these attitudes have on the way people think about the speakers of the dialect

examine what effect these attitudes have on the way people interact with speakers of the dialect

This type of research is sometimes called “folk linguistics”

social perceptions and dialects

Two types of social perception: Status (we admire these people):intelligence, businesslike, correct, dependable Solidarity (we like these people):friendly, pleasant, funny, similar to you

Do we perceive speakers of some varieties of English as being more intelligent or more friendly?

background: Preston’s (1992, 1999) research on language attitudes

Tested Northerners (Michiganders) and Southerners (Alabamans) on their perception of northern and southern speech

Participants rate speakers from different states on scales of solidarity and status:

Example:

Politeness

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Language attitude studies

perceptions of American English

perceptions of American English 2

correctness by Michiganders

correctness by Alabamans

pleasantness by Michiganders

pleasantness by Alabamans

background: results

Who scored highest on status characteristics?

Michigan Who scored highest on solidarity

characteristics?AlabamaIn other words, we tend to admire

speakers of some dialects, but think they are unfriendly. We think speakers of other dialects are friendly, but kind of dumb

background: child attitude studies

How old are you when you acquire these attitudes?

Rosenthal, 1974

Standard English and African American English speaking children

Interacted with two boxes—one that spoke standard English and one that spoke African American English

background: child attitude studiesTakingWhich box has nicer

presents?Which box sounds nicer?Which box talks better?Which box do you like

better?Which box do you want to

take your present from?

GivingWhich box wants it

more?Which box needs it

more?Which box sounds

nicer?Which box do you want

to give it to?

background: child attitude studies

Who did they want to take from?

The Standard English box

Who did they want to give to?

The African American English box

How old were the children?

3-5 years old

social perception of dialects (David Bowie)Replication of Preston’s work, but with

Californians, Floridians and Utahans

Status: correct, intelligentSolidarity: pleasant, similar to you

States marked in red on the following maps indicate that participants thought this state “very strongly” had this characteristic; pinks and blues indicate that participants thought this state “very strongly” did not have this characteristic

California

Utah

Florida

1. correct

California

Utah

Florida

2. intelligent

California

Utah

Florida

3. pleasant

California

Utah

Florida

4. similar to you

conclusions Californians: think they are correct, pleasant

and very intelligent Floridians: think they are correct, intelligent

and pleasant and that no one is like them Utahans: Don’t think they are correct, don’t

think anyone is intelligent and think everyone is pleasant

Utahans display the most linguistic insecurity Californians and Floridians think they score

high on both status and solidarity characteristics

Don’t see as strong north/south prejudice as in eastern U.S.

Sociolinguistics: Methods

1. Observation 2. Observation of a small group over a period

of time 3. Interview 4. Surveys and questionnaires 5. Accent Judgment Test 6. Language attitude studies 7. Role-playing 8. Discourse Completion Tests

Which of the speakers is male? Which is female? How do you know?

M: What kind of salad dressing should I make?K: Oil and vinegar, what else?M: What do you mean “what else”?K: Well, I always make oil and vinegar, but if you want we could try something else.M: Does that mean you don’t like it when I make other dressings?K: No, I like it. Go ahead. Make something else.M: Not if you want oil and vinegar.K: I don’t. Make a yogurt dressing(M. makes a yogurt dressing, tastes it ,and makes a face)K: Isn’t it good?M: I don’t know how to make yogurt dressing.K: Well, if you don’t like it, throw it out.M: Never mind.K: What never mind? It’s just little yogurt.M: You’re making a big deal out of nothing.K: You are!

Conversation Analysis: Some terms

Some definitions:1. Face 2. Power and Solidarity 3. Politeness (directness) 4. Speech Acts5. Floor

solidarity

power

+p, +s

-p, +s

+p, -s

-p, -s

Politeness

Situation Positive (desire to include)

Negative (desire to avoid)

1. Person walks into room and trips

make a joke pretends doesn’t happen

2. Friendliness include person in all activities

allow person to do things on their own

3. Sees someone with zipper undone

tells the person a. ignores

b. tells person later

4. Request includes in activity “Let’s take the garbage out

hedge: “I wonder if you could help out?”

5. Complaint make a joke “you sure are a good housekeeper”

nominalize: “Your poor performance on the exam . . .

Conversation Analysis: Holding the floor

a. P: Your Honor, we request immediate sentencing and waive the probation report.

J: What's his record?P: He has a prior drunk and GTA. Nothing serious. This is just a shoplifting

case. He did enter the K-Mart with the intent to steal. But really all we have here is a petty theft.

J: What do the people have?D: Nothing either way.J: How long has he been in?D: Eighty-three days.

b. D: I wonder how our parents and grandparents thought about Thanksgiving.S: Could we get this off the table?D: Y'know, if they used to do it for the kids or whether they really felt it.P: I'd like to get this off the table.S: It keeps coming back on the table.

Example Speech Act: Compliments

1. Who gets compliments?

2. Who gives compliments?

3. Who evades/deflects/rejects compliments?

4. What do men/women compliment (appearance, possessions, skills?)

Who gives/receives compliments?

Who accepts, rejects and evades compliments?

Compliments and Types of Compliments that vary by Social Distance