2006-12-11 22:49:07 · 4 answers · asked by Sandra S 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used.
It also studies how lects differ between groups separated by certain social variables, e.g., ethnicity, religion, status, gender, level of education, etc., and how creation and adherence to these rules is used to categorize individuals in social class or socio-economic classes. As the usage of a language varies from place to place (dialect), language usage varies among social classes, and it is these sociolects that sociolinguistics studies.
For example, a sociolinguist might determine through study of social attitudes that a particular vernacular would not be considered appropriate language use in a business or professional setting; he or she might also study the grammar, phonetics, vocabulary, and other aspects of this sociolect much as a dialectologist would study the same for a regional dialect.
The study of language variation is concerned with social constraints determining language in its contextual environment. Code-switching is the term given to the use of different varieties of language in different social situations.
William Labov is often regarded as the founder of the study of sociolinguistics. He is especially noted for introducing the quantitative study of language variation and change, making the sociology of language into a scientific discipline.
Sociolinguistics differs from sociology of language in that the focus of sociolinguistics is the effect of the society on the language, while the latter's focus is on the language's effect on the society.
2006-12-11 22:53:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The study of languages within a society.
2006-12-11 22:55:51 · answer #2 · answered by papabeartex 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The study of language as it functions in society; the study of the interaction between linguistic and social variables.
2006-12-11 22:58:41 · answer #3 · answered by ! 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my 3 needs are a million- Get a job 2- Get married 3- Have a house I lost my job and that i opt for yet another one and that i might like sometime to get married and have a house so my little ones can stay with us too!!
2016-10-05 05:17:44 · answer #4 · answered by sashi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋