How Do We

Communicate?
THE SOCIOLOGICAL ANSWER: THE IMPACT OF LANGUAGE ON
CULTURE
Slang Activity

 In groups of 3 or 4, write as many slang words you can think of &

put them into T-chart
 Once your list is complete – write down the meaning for each
word
  Sociologist have studied how societies or culture influenced
by language
 For example – the environments impact on language is the
Inuit who have a variety of terms to describe snow
o Snow in air/falling: quaniit o Snow (like salt) or snow crust:
o Air thick with snow: nittaalaq pukak
o Snowy weather: o Soft, deep snow: mauja
qannirsuq/nittaatsuq o Snowdrift: tipvigut
o Soft snow: akkilokipok o Watery snow: mangokpok
o Snow (on round): aput
o We also see culture influencing language of the Philippines,
who have over 92 words for rice
Androcentric Language

 Definition – sexist language

 In North America, traditional English used the masculine
form of words to apply to both genders
 Fireman, Policeman, Mailman
 This gave the impression that men were more dominant
than women
 This has slowly started to change as more women enter
the workforce that was traditionally the realm of men
 Fire Fighter, Police Officer, Mail Carrier
 Language often helps define a cultural group because it
allows people of common lineage to communicate with one
another – intimate opinions and emotions that can only be
understood by other members
 Language can be an emotional issue since it often
expresses the “soul” of a culture
 Bill 101 in Quebec recognized French Language/Heritage
 Even different societies that speak the same language can
distinguish themselves from one another by speaking
different dialects or using different words
North American English United Kingdom English
 Gasoline/Gas  Petrol
 Trunk  Boot
 Elevator  Lift
 French Fries  Chips
 Thanks  Cheers
 Sweater  Jumper
 Soccer  Football
 Sausage  Banger
 Pharmacist  Chemist
Technology’s Effects on Language

 Communication has become easier with advances in

technology
 People can communicate each other via telephone, e-mail,
fax, instant messengers, text messages
 This has led to a creation of a whole new written language
using mostly abbreviations and incomplete sentences
 LOL, BRB, LMAO…
 How Technology Influences Language
New Languages

 In the US, new languages have emerged in the last century

and are recognized by linguists as being dialects of English
 Example #1: Spanglish
 A combination of English and Spanish
 Example – la window esta broken
 What is Spanglish?
 Example #2: African American Vernacular English (Ebonics)
 An African Language used by African Americans that is
not a dialect of English
 Ebonics is a term combining “ebony” and “phonics”
 AAVE has its own grammar, vocabulary and rules
Forexample:
Words lose a “d” following a vowel, so “good” becomes
“goo”
The final “th” is sometimes replaced with “f” so “with”
becomes “wif”
Also, the verb “to be” is not conjugated as in “he be at the
store”
Speakers may also use double or triple negatives “I’m not
going back there no more”
AAVE #1
AAVE #2
Media and Communication

 Media = newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet

 Challenge of all media – to present a memorable message
 Print
 Such as – magazines and newspapers
 Depend on visual impact – colours, large print, size etc.
 Radio
 Relies on creating mental pictures in the mind of the listener
 Employs sound effects and sound bites – to appeal to the
listener’s imagination
 Television
 Commercials try to be creative to identify with the consumer
and keep their attention
 Internet
 Advertisements try to be brief, clear and very creative
 Use of pictures, video, sound, special effects
Advertisements

 Snicker’s
 Pearl Perfect
 Carl’s Jr.
 Dr. Pepper
 Hanes
 Christmas Commercials
 You Shall
 Audi