Chapter 6

Who is Williams Labov, and why is he important to the world of Sociolinguistics and and the study of linguistic patterns?

*Labov conducted one of the first major sociolinguistic studies in in New York City in 1964. By asking workers in a department store "where are the shoes" he was able to track and analyze their speech patterns in the elicited response that would include the words "fourth" and "Floor". Using this response he was able to effectively and economically track the patterns of the post vocalic [r]. *Labov found that pronunciation of the post vocalic [r] varied according to social group. The higher the social group, the more pronounced the [r] sound was. *This experiment effectively demonstrated the arbitrariness of particular linguistic forms that are considered standard and prestigious. He also exposed the usefulness of random interview questions in sociolinguistic research methods.

Define the difference between regional accent and regional dialect.

Accents are distinguished by pronunciation alone. Dialects are distinguished by pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

What is the difference between accent and dialect?

Accents are distinguished from each other by pronunciation alone, while dialects deal with vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.

What are the things that distinguish the linguistic varieties of a language or the dialect of a language?

Dialects are linguistic varieties which are distinguishable by their vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation

What are isoglosses?

Isoglosses are boundary lines based on linguistic features which vary in different dialects

Define dialect.

Linguistic varieties which are distinguishable by their vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

In regards to social and regional accent variation, most linguistic variation will be found at which level of the socioeconomic class?

Lowest

Does everyone speak the same?

Nope. No two people speak exactly the same.

What are the 3 main dialects of the U.S.?

Northern, Southern, Midland

What is the difference between sharp and fine stratification?

Sharp stratification is the sharp division between the low and middle class. Fine stratification is variation that indicates language change in progress.

What are important dimensions of identity in many communities?

Social Status, Gender, Age, Ethnicity, and Social Networks.

The way different pronunciations fall into a pattern indicate the ________ of the speaker

Social class

Define caste dialect

Social dialect used in groups with similar social and economic factors

What is received pronunciation?

The accent of the best best educated and most prestigious members of English society, regarded as standard pronunciation

Where are vernacular forms typically learned?

Vernacular forms tend to be learned at home and used in informal contexts

What speech variable has been analyzed in many social dialect studies in England?

[h]-dropping