Evaluate the idea that a person’s language use is completely determined by the social groups they belong to: (30 marks – 45 minutes)
Evaluate the idea that a person’s language use is completely determined by the social groups they belong to: (30 marks – 45 minutes)
Key words:
• Evaluate
• Completely determined
• Social groups
GIVE ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES!!!
It can be said a person’s language is influenced by their social groups but not completely determined by them – good conclusion to use
Introduction:
A social group is a group of people share similar attributes or goals, for example gender, occupation, nationality etc. It can be argued that the social groups a person belongs to can determine how they use language as language and social groups are both key parts of someone’s identity. However, others believe that, even though social groups have a significant influence on language, there are other factors that need to be considered.
Potentially Include (use a range!):
• Gender theories – deficit, dominance, difference
• Dr Judith Baxter – Karren Brady is an example of a woman who does not fit the pattern of her social group (Double Voice Discourse)
• Vera Regan -Teens need to distinguish themselves as a social group so invent new slang/language
• Gary Ives - found only 2 examples of speakers using written forms throughout 30 15-year olds – not conforming to social group stereotype
• Howard Giles - accommodation, divergence or convergence – your language can change depending on the person you’re talking to, even if you’re not part of the same social group
• Swales’ discourse communities – language influenced by occupation (a social group) – certain knowledge and terminology required to take part (jargon)
• Milroy’s Belfast Study – open and closed networks – women have more open networks and therefore are part of more social groups
• Trudgill – Norwich study – men use non-standard pronunciation of words with an ‘-ing’ ending
• Labov - Martha’s Vineyard – language influenced by trying to distinguish your social group (geographical bond) – young people copy the language of old people, instead of trying to rebel against them with slang – sense of not wanting to sound like a tourist
• Jenny Chesire – challenge idea that slang was mostly used by the working class – working class girls would use non-standard ‘come’ and middle class girls would use non-standard ‘what’. Not a clear difference between social groups and slang use as there is more variation in young people’s language
• Basil Bernstein – elaborate and restricted code – elaborate code: language use is less concerned with individuality and uniqueness – restricted code: how we speak to people who share similar interests and experiences and expectations
Plan:
• Intro
• P1 - Swales’ discourse communities – language is based on the job they are trying to get done – requires subject-specific lexis (jargon) and a certain level of knowledge/expertise
• P2 – Bernstein and restricted code – working class people have a more restricted code as they are less likely to receive a higher education and get a higher job
• P3- Milroy (Belfast study) and Trudgill (Norwich study) – men drop ‘g’s because they are part of closed networks so are only around a certain number of people – more informal
• P4 – Jenny Chesire – informal language also common in groups of young people (slang) – not restricted by class as middle class girls as likely to use it as working class girls – often referred to as lazy
• P5 – Vera Regan – young people (specifically girls) are ‘movers and shakers’ – attempting to distinguish themselves from adults and authority so aim to create new language – this is mainly only written as Gary Ives found only 2 out of 30 15 year olds used written forms in speech which breaks the stereotype of the social group
• P6 – Labov – Martha’s Vineyard – geographical social group – language influenced by locals trying to distinguish themselves from tourists – interesting as young people actually aimed to sound like the older generation, not move away from them
• P7 – Howard Giles – accommodation, convergence and divergence – accents can often change but not always intentionally, often it can be to accommodate who you are talking to or to mirror them – this is not a result of social group
Key words:
• Evaluate
• Completely determined
• Social groups
GIVE ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES!!!
It can be said a person’s language is influenced by their social groups but not completely determined by them – good conclusion to use
Introduction:
A social group is a group of people share similar attributes or goals, for example gender, occupation, nationality etc. It can be argued that the social groups a person belongs to can determine how they use language as language and social groups are both key parts of someone’s identity. However, others believe that, even though social groups have a significant influence on language, there are other factors that need to be considered.
Potentially Include (use a range!):
• Gender theories – deficit, dominance, difference
• Dr Judith Baxter – Karren Brady is an example of a woman who does not fit the pattern of her social group (Double Voice Discourse)
• Vera Regan -Teens need to distinguish themselves as a social group so invent new slang/language
• Gary Ives - found only 2 examples of speakers using written forms throughout 30 15-year olds – not conforming to social group stereotype
• Howard Giles - accommodation, divergence or convergence – your language can change depending on the person you’re talking to, even if you’re not part of the same social group
• Swales’ discourse communities – language influenced by occupation (a social group) – certain knowledge and terminology required to take part (jargon)
• Milroy’s Belfast Study – open and closed networks – women have more open networks and therefore are part of more social groups
• Trudgill – Norwich study – men use non-standard pronunciation of words with an ‘-ing’ ending
• Labov - Martha’s Vineyard – language influenced by trying to distinguish your social group (geographical bond) – young people copy the language of old people, instead of trying to rebel against them with slang – sense of not wanting to sound like a tourist
• Jenny Chesire – challenge idea that slang was mostly used by the working class – working class girls would use non-standard ‘come’ and middle class girls would use non-standard ‘what’. Not a clear difference between social groups and slang use as there is more variation in young people’s language
• Basil Bernstein – elaborate and restricted code – elaborate code: language use is less concerned with individuality and uniqueness – restricted code: how we speak to people who share similar interests and experiences and expectations
Plan:
• Intro
• P1 - Swales’ discourse communities – language is based on the job they are trying to get done – requires subject-specific lexis (jargon) and a certain level of knowledge/expertise
• P2 – Bernstein and restricted code – working class people have a more restricted code as they are less likely to receive a higher education and get a higher job
• P3- Milroy (Belfast study) and Trudgill (Norwich study) – men drop ‘g’s because they are part of closed networks so are only around a certain number of people – more informal
• P4 – Jenny Chesire – informal language also common in groups of young people (slang) – not restricted by class as middle class girls as likely to use it as working class girls – often referred to as lazy
• P5 – Vera Regan – young people (specifically girls) are ‘movers and shakers’ – attempting to distinguish themselves from adults and authority so aim to create new language – this is mainly only written as Gary Ives found only 2 out of 30 15 year olds used written forms in speech which breaks the stereotype of the social group
• P6 – Labov – Martha’s Vineyard – geographical social group – language influenced by locals trying to distinguish themselves from tourists – interesting as young people actually aimed to sound like the older generation, not move away from them
• P7 – Howard Giles – accommodation, convergence and divergence – accents can often change but not always intentionally, often it can be to accommodate who you are talking to or to mirror them – this is not a result of social group
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