Understanding Language and Society: Sociolinguistics Explained
Understanding Language and Society: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics
It is impossible to separate language from society. Linguistic studies must consider social factors, as these factors influence and modify the linguistic system. Language is a complex set of interconnected dialects within a hierarchy. From a sociolinguistic perspective, language is a product of history. Historical factors lead to a particular language variety becoming the standard for a specific group.
What defines a language is not merely its linguistic structure (phonemes, morphemes, and lexemes), but the cohesive and distinctive element it provides to a community. It’s the desire, will, and conscious effort of a group to use a variety as their language.
Elements Promoting Social Variability of Language
Elements that promote social variability of language are:
- Diatopic Variety: Linguistic features associated with the geographical origin of speakers, influenced by isolation and limited contact.
- Diachronic Variety: Associated with generational differences among speakers, related to the passage of time.
- Diastratic Variety: Associated with different sociocultural strata within a society.
- Diaphasic Variety: Associated with the situational context and function of language use.
The standard variety responds to the inherent variation in language (geographic, generational, and social) by including forms and structures common to all dialects. The standard is a neutral range essential for overcoming linguistic variation and ensuring intelligibility among group members. It prioritizes the variety most suitable for public communication.
Standard Language Features
- Unifying Function: A language before normalization is a collection of dialects.
- Separator: The standard distinguishes speakers of one language from another.
- Prestige: Mastery of the standard language confers prestige and national identity.
- Role in Drafting Style and Terminology: Facilitates use in diverse modern contexts.
- Reference Point: The standard serves as a model for correct language use.
Standardization Processes
- Selection: Choosing a base, whether a single dialect or a mix, for the standard.
- Consolidation: Providing the chosen variety with formal unity, including spelling, grammar, and lexicon. This is a purely linguistic process.
- Diffusion: Circulating the codified language model for use in designated areas. Interruption occurs if the language isn’t codified in these areas.
- Preparation: Adapting the coded language to new stylistic forms and terminology to ensure it remains current.
Standardization precedes normalization, as the standard is always normative and necessary for the standardization of a language.
Linguistic Diversity
Recent data from the Ethnographic Institute in London indicates approximately 6,703 languages exist today. Among the ten most spoken languages globally, five are European: English, Spanish, Russian, and German.
Bilingualism
W. Mackey states: “The use of two languages by an individual assumes the existence of two different linguistic communities; it does not necessarily imply the existence of a bilingual community.”
- Additive Bilingualism: Viewed as personal enrichment and a conscious decision.
- Subtractive Bilingualism: A transitional stage toward replacing one’s native language.
Types of Bilingualism
- Individual Bilingualism: A characteristic of the individual. According to Mackey, a person is bilingual when they can use both languages effectively in all circumstances.
- Territorial Bilingualism: Two regions with different languages within a community (e.g., Belgium).
- Social Bilingualism: When language switching is not an individual choice but a social phenomenon, it is the most frequent and of concern to sociolinguistics.