Sociolinguistic Variation of the English Language

Jed! Come here! [heə]

(silence from Jed)

Jed!! Come here!! [hiər]

variation according to use and variation according to user

• User-related varieties
• User-related varieties are associated with particular people and often places such as Black English (English spoken by blacks, especially by African-Americans in the US) and Canadian English (English used in Canada: either all such English or only the standard form).

variation according to use and variation according to user

• User-related varieties
• When purely geographical aspect of variation is taken into account the term dialect (for definition view above) is applied. But when the social factor is determining the term social dialect or sociolect is employed. Social dialect embraces a number of linguistic peculiarities typical of some social group – professional, age, gender group or other. The term is a blend (socio-+ dialect) that first appeared in the 1970s. The speakers of a sociolect usually share a similar socioeconomic and / or educational background.

variation according to use and variation according to user

• Use-related varieties
• Use-related varieties are associated with function, such as legal English (the language of courts, contracts, etc.) and literary English (the typical usage of literary texts, conversations, etc.). A variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting is called register.

variation according to use and variation according to user

• Use-related varieties

For example, an English speaker may adhere more closely to prescribed grammar, pronounce words ending in -ing with a velar nasal instead of an alveolar nasal (e.g. walking, not walkin), choose more formal words (e.g. father vs. dad, child vs. kid, etc.), and refrain from using the word ain’t when speaking in a formal setting, but the same person could violate all of these prescriptions in an informal setting.