Sociolinguistic Variation of the English Language

Sociolinguistic Variation of the English Language

Lecture № 1

Contents

1.1. Sociolinguistics: its aim, object and ties with other humanities
1.2. Types of sociolinguistics
1.3. Language variation
1.4. Aspects of language competence
1.5. Methods employed by sociolinguistics

1.1. Sociolinguistics: its aim, object and ties with other humanities

Miriam Meyerhoff

As it is written by Miriam Meyerhoff in the introduction to her book

“If I had a penny for every time I have tried to answer the question, ‘So what is sociolinguistics?’, I would be writing this book in the comfort of an early retirement. And if there was a way of defining it in one simple, yet comprehensive, sentence, there might not be a need for weighty introductory textbooks.”

1.1. Sociolinguistics: its aim, object and ties with other humanities

Sociolinguistics is a branch of linguistics studying the language in connection with the social conditions of its existence.

1.1. Sociolinguistics: its aim, object and ties with other humanities

These conditions are a complex of exterior (to the language) circumstances in which the language is actually functioning and developing: community of people using the language, the social structure of this community, differences between its speakers in the age, status, cultural and education level, place of residence as well as the differences in their speech behaviour depending on the conditions of the communication.

1.1. Sociolinguistics: its aim, object and ties with other humanities

The term “Sociolinguistics” appears to have been first used in 1952 by Haver Currie, a poet and philosopher who noted the general absence of any consideration of the social in the linguistic research of his day

1.1. Sociolinguistics: its aim, object and ties with other humanities