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

Bina Nusantara

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

Outline Materi

4

Bina Nusantara

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?

Bina Nusantara

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.

Bina Nusantara

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

Bina Nusantara

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.

Bina Nusantara

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

Bina Nusantara

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?

Bina Nusantara

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.

Bina Nusantara

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.

Bina Nusantara

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.

Bina Nusantara

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

Bina Nusantara

• Solidarity scale:

intimate ______________________ distantHigh solidarity Low

solidarity(language is (language

is less formal) formal)

Bina Nusantara

• Status ScaleSuperior High status

Subordinate Low status

Bina Nusantara

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.

Bina Nusantara

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).