Language Attitudes

“Ultimately attitudes to language reflect

attitudes to the users and the uses of
language…”
“The is nothing intrinsically beautiful or correct
about any particular sound.”
“They develop attitudes towards languages
which reflect their views about those who
speak the languages, and the contexts and
functions with which they are associated.”

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson,

pp. 409-410. 1/10
 Examples of Strong Views
towards Languages
 Language riots in Belgium and India
 Getting rid of English road signs in Wales
 Change in attitudes towards English and
French in Quebec
 Long delay in developing a script for written
Somali because of competing prestige
forms (Roman vs. Arabic alphabets)

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson,

pp. 410-411. 2/10
 Ratings of RP Speakers
vs. Regional-Accent Speakers
more intelligent
more industrious
more self-confident
more determined
more communicative effectiveness
more social status
more general pleasantness
often taken more seriously
more persuasive
Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson, p. 416.
3/10
 Local Accents
and Covert Prestige
“On the other hand, while RP tends to be rated
highly on the status dimension, as in Britain,
local [New Zealand] accents generally score
more highly on characteristics such as
friendliness and sense of humour, and other
dimensions which measure solidarity or
social attractiveness.”

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson, p. 417.
4/10
 Discrimination

“I have tried to show that the reasons people

condemn vernacular forms are attitudinal,
not linguistic. Children who use vernacular
forms are not disadvantaged by inadequate
language. They are disadvantaged by
negative attitudes towards their speech—
attitudes which derive from their lower social
status and its associations in people's minds.”

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson, p. 420.
5/10
 A Note on Methodology

1. Societal treatment

2. Direct measures

3. Indirect measures

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson,

pp. 420-423. 6/10
 A Note on Methodology

1. Societal treatment

 Observing use in public domain

 Examining government documents about status
 Educational document
 Employment advertisements
 Dialect representation in novels
 Cartoons (societal stereotypes)
 Newspapers, books
Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson,
pp. 420-421. 7/10
 A Note on Methodology

2. Direct measures

 Ask direct questions about attitudes

 Written questionnaires (possible large scope)
 Well-known problems with questionnaires

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson,

pp. 421-422. 8/10
 A Note on Methodology

3. Indirect measures

 Matched guise technique (less in your fact)

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London: Pearson,

pp. 422-423. 9/10
 Sociolinguists’ Potential
Contribution to Society
 Educate people in society about variation
and varieties

 In the classroom—gaining acceptance for

vernacular language

 Testing

Holmes, Janet. 2008. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 3rd edition. Harlow, England:

Pearson-Longman, p. 420ff.
10/10