Tripoli University

Faculty of Languages
Post-graduate Studies program

Written By :
Saleh Ali Abu Hussain

Supervised by :

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 19 Dr. Nadia Nuseir

Language and social variation

 Language and social variation
It discusses language and social variation, focusing on sociolinguistics. It covers various
aspects, including social dialects, speech style and style-shifting, speech
accommodation, register and jargon, and slang.

Social Dialects
• In Edinburgh, Scotland, the word "home" is pronounced as [heɪm] by lower-
working-class speakers and as [hom] by middle-class speakers, indicating a small
but significant difference in pronunciation associated with social status.

Education and Occupation

• Speakers with less education tend to use forms such as "throwed" and "what"
more frequently, while those with more education use "threw" and "who" more
often, reflecting the influence of educational background on language use.

Social Markers
• The pronunciation of the linguistic variable /r/ serves as a social marker. For
example, in New York City, the frequency of /r/ sounds is associated with
different socio-economic groups, with higher frequencies linked to higher social
status.

Speech Style and Style-Shifting

• Middle-class speakers are more likely to shift their speech style significantly
towards the upper middle class in formal situations, demonstrating overt
prestige. In contrast, lower-working-class speakers may avoid changing their
speech style to maintain group solidarity, reflecting covert prestige.

Speech Accommodation
• Speech accommodation involves modifying speech style based on the perceived
style of the listener. Convergence, where speakers adopt a style similar to the
person they are talking to, and divergence, where they use a different style, are
examples of speech accommodation.

Register and Jargon

• Registers, such as religious, legal, and linguistic registers, involve the use of
specific language conventions appropriate to particular contexts. Jargon, a
feature of registers, is specialized vocabulary used to create and maintain
connections among insiders in specific fields.
Slang
• Slang, such as "bucks" for dollars, "megabucks," "dead presidents," and
"benjamins," is an aspect of colloquial speech used by younger speakers and
other groups with special interests, and it is subject to fashion trends.
The examples provided illustrate how language use is influenced by social factors such
as education, occupation, and social status, and how individuals adapt their speech to
accommodate different social contexts and groups.