From Sociological Perspective

3rd Online Meeting

CATEGORIES OF
LANGUAGES
VERNACULAR

STANDARD
LANGUAGE
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VERNACULAR LANGUAGE
 VERNACULAR LANGUAGE

• Spoken at home by ordinary people in a country or

region
• Spoken as one's mother tongue, not learned nor
imposed as an L2
• Written – works that describes how ordinary people
really talk in a unique way
• Slang
• Local varieties

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CHARACTERISTICS
A recognized dictionary (standardized spelling and vocabulary)

2. A recognized grammar

3. A standard pronunciation (educated speech)

4. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: in the legal vernacular.

5. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression.

6. The common, nonscientific name of a plant or animal.

7. Native to or commonly spoken by the members of a particular country or region.

8. Using the native language of a region, especially as distinct from the literary language: a vernacular poet.

9. Relating to or expressed in the native language or dialect.

10. Of or being an indigenous building style using local materials and traditional methods of construction and
ornament, especially as distinguished from academic or historical architectural styles.

11. Occurring or existing in a particular locality; endemic: a vernacular disease.

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STANDARD LANGUAGE
STANDARD Developed as a result of a sociopolitical
process.
LANGUAGE

Is generally one which is written, and

which has undergone some degree of
regularization or codification (for
example, in a grammar and a dictionary).

Is a language variety used by a group of

people in their public discourse.
STANDARD LANGUAGE
• the variety of a language that is considered as a better one
for its phonological, lexical, and grammatical correctness
VARIETIES TO • By undergoing a process of standardization, during
which it is organized for description in grammars and
STANDARD dictionaries and encoded in such reference works.
HOW DOES A VARIETY OR DIALECT ARISE AS A
STANDARD LANGUAGE?

• when a certain dialect begins to be used in written form, normally throughout a broader area
than that of the dialect itself.

• the ways in which this language is use in administrative matters, literature, and economic life
lead to the minimization of linguistic variation.
CHARACTERISTIC OF STANDARD
LANGUAGE:

1. A recognized dictionary 2. A recognized grammar 3. A standard pronunciation

(standardized spelling and (educated speech)
vocabulary)
NATIONAL
LANGUAGE

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
NATIONAL • a language which is spoken in a specific country

LANGUAGE • “national language” simply means that there is

some type of a connection between a territory and
a language spoken there
• a tongue shared by a number of people (possibly
citizens of a country)
• can be used as a communication tool between
different groups within one nation
• the one used by the government in official
business
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

• a language that is given specific legal standing., can apply to the whole country or a specific
area
• the ones that are used by the government, or mostly related to the government of a country
• languages in the courts and by the administrators of a country
• the ones that are often expressly mentioned in constitutions and which serve a symbolic
purpose. Ex., in many African countries, the indigenous languages are often given official status
to promote their use
NATIONAL AND OFFICIAL
LANGUAGES
• both deal with the status of languages on a certain
territory
• both legal categories that remain slightly
badly defined, leading to confusion and overlap
• both are commonly determined in constitutions of
countries.

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TO CONCLUDE
• National languages refer to the tongues spoken on a
certain territory (usually a nation-state, but not always) by
one or several groups of people.

• Official languages are the ones used by a region’s

government for official purposes. It has more to do with
day-to-day bureaucracy, although official languages can
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also be determined with the aim of promoting their use
throughout the territory.
PAIR WORK

• Compare and contrast standard from

vernacular language. Use a Venn
Diagram in illustrating their similar
and contrasting features, function
and characteristics.

• What is the official language of the

Philippines? What is the national
language of the Philippines? Be brief
and precise in your answer.
Support/Justify your answer by
doing some readings/research. Do
not void copy/paste from sources.
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