L23B: Sociolinguistics 2005-2006

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L23B Sociolinguistics 2005-2006
Please Turn off all cellular phones pagers
L23B Website www.mona.uwi.edu/dllp/courses/l23b
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Course Assessment

• Incourse Test (40 of total grade)
• TEST DATE MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006 (2-4pm)
• Final Exam
• (60 of total grade)

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Topics for this Session

• Review Communication
• Language Culture
• Language Variation

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Social Units

• Speech Linguists community in the
  Caribbean
• Speech situation SCL Conference
• Speech event Presentation
• Speech act In my data, my informants

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Speech Event (Meeting a new Person)

• Mr. Richardson By the way, Im Andrew Richardson
  but my friends call me Andy. Heres my card.
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• Mr. Chu Im David Chu, pleased to meet you Mr.
  Richardson heres my card.
•  
• Mr. Richardson No, No, call me Andy. I think
  well be doing a lot of business together.
•  
• Mr. Chu Yes I hope so.
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• Mr. Richardson (reading Chus card) Chu,
  Hon-Fai Hon-Fai, Ill give you a call as soon as
  Im settled in at my hotel.
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• Mr. Chu (smiling) Yes, Ill expect your call.

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AMERICAN PATTERN

• Preference for close relationship
• Non-verbal element (smile) means appreciation

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HONG KONG PATTERN

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• Preference for professional relationship
• Non-verbal element (smile) means discomfort

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Linguistic variables

• language features that vary in precise form from
  speaker to speaker

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Linguistic variables

• Lexical eat vs. nyam
• phonological eg. k k? vs. k?
• morpho-syntactic eg. pluralisation dem vs.
  nouns
• Syntactic eg. double negatives

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Labov distinguishes Linguistic Variable as

• Indicators - little or no social
• significance attached
• Markers/Socially diagnostic variables carries
  social significance.
•            
• Stereotypes popular and conscious
  characterization of the speech of a particular
  group.