what is sociolinguistics? pertemuan 1

What is Sociolinguistics? Pertemuan 1

Matakuliah : G0362/SociolingusticsTahun : 2007

Bina Nusantara

Pada akhir pertemuan ini, diharapkan mahasiswa akan mampu :• Menjelaskan apa yang dipelajari dalam

Sosiolinguistik • Menjelaskan faktor sosial yang mempengaruhi

penggunaan bahasa

Learning Outcomes

3

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• Definisi Sosiolinguistik • Faktor Sosial dalam penggunaan bahasa• Dimensi Sosial• Penjelasan atas beberapa fenomena bahasa

Outline Materi

4

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What is covered in this course?

• What is sociolinguistics?• What do sociolinguists study?• Why does someone use one language instead of

another?• What are varieties?• Can a language become extinct?• What can we do to keep a language alive?• Do men and women talk differently?

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What is sociolinguistics?• Sociolinguistics is a

field of study that observes the use of language in the society.

• In Sociolinguistics, the object of study is the speakers, how they use the language, and what factors influence them to do so.

• In pure linguistics, the object of the study is the language alone, independent of the speakers and other social factors.

• Pure linguistics is about learning the grammar and how the language works.

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Short Definition• In short, we can say that Sociolinguists study

Who speaks to whom, where, what about, and for what purpose– Who, whom the participants– Where the setting – What about the topic– What purpose the function

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Social FactorsWhat language people choose to speak in an

exchange is determined by social factors: The Participants: e.g. age, ranks, relationships; The Setting: e.g. at home, in a formal meeting,

etc. The Topic: e.g. my tennis skills, cooking, exams; The Function: e.g. getting a loan, hiring a maid,

asking permission to leave the room, etc.

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The Participants• The person you speak to and the kind of

relationship you have with the person determines your choice of– Terms of Address: Mr., Madam, Sir, Your Honor/

Majesty, Pak, Mbak, Mas, or just Memet– Language: formal/informal– Tone of voice or intonation

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The ParticipantsDiscussion Task:How would you ask for some money to a. A bank teller?b. Your mother or father?c. Your brother (younger/older)?d. A good friend?e. A total stranger?

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The Setting• What we mean by settings are the contexts in

which the language exchanges occur:– At school, university– At home – At a law court– In an inauguration ceremony, etc.

• The settings would dictate the use of language: formal or informal.

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Topics• The topic of a language exchange can be

– A subject matter at a school (Maths, English)– A new computer game– Fashion– Mother’s cooking– Father’s new car, etc.

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Function

• The function of a conversation is the reason why two people are speaking to each other at a given moment.e.g. to ask permission, to scold a naughty child, to carry out a wedding ceremony, etc.

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Social Dimensions

Within the social factors above, there are social dimensions:

1. Social Distance (solidarity) scale2. Status scale 3. Formality scale4. Functional scales: referential and affective

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• Solidarity scale:

intimate ______________________ distantHigh solidarity Low

solidarity(language is (language

is less formal) formal)

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• Status ScaleSuperior High status

Subordinate Low status

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Functional ScaleReferential

Low ________________________________high

Low ________________________________ highAffective

The news on TV would be high in referential content but low in affective scale.

A gossip will be highly affective but lowly referential.

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Conclusions• Sociolinguistics is a field of study that research on

how language is used in the community.• The way a person speak to another depends on

some social factors (the participants, setting, topic, and function) and social dimensions (solidarity scale, status scale, formality scale, and functional scales).