Sociolinguistics: Understanding Languages - Literature review Example

Sociolinguistics: Understanding Languages LITERATURE REVIEW Through an analysis of recorded diaries, different comments from observers, poems, letters, novels, journals, articles and books, this section of the study provides a historical overview of the impact of sociolinguistics on how people understand languages. First, linguistic differences between male and female, diverse societies and cultures have been a matter of concern over the years. Significant research work was previously conducted by other researchers but no concession was reached in their findings. The current research paper seeks to consolidate information from the different research studies conducted by other researchers to offer a better understanding of the effects of sociolinguistics on the ability to understand languages. Moreover, I will build the discussion as well as raise concerns about the impact of sociolinguistics in understanding languages while trying to take a stand on the whole issue under discussion. Additionally, the research will focus on identifying differences between phonology and morphology and how the two aspects affect the ability of people’s understanding of a language under the influence of ethnic, gender, regional and social class elements. Therefore, the central research question for the research states, “How does sociolinguistics affect the ability to understand languages?” Furthermore, how is language affected by gender, ethnicity and regional differences? According to Stubbs (2014) sociolinguistics is the branch of linguistics that seeks to understand how the society influences language use, as well as how language use impacts the society. The major interest include gaining an understanding on the processes involved in acquiring a language, challenges of learning a new language, and how people modify language in different social circumstances. Through studying sociolinguistics, readers appreciate the traditional values of any language. In essence, sociolinguistics is an integral part in the learning all aspects of a language including grammar, meaning and sounds. In the formation of a society, there must exist a common goal pursued by all. Different language aspects assists the society members to agree to focus on the common goals for example, to increase the security of their neighborhood, to conduct development projects like building schools or to gather and discuss how to solve various challenges faced by the community. Markedly, the specific ways in which language is used among the society members impacts the cooperation level exhibited by all individuals, hence the ability of a language impacting the society (Hayes et al., 2013). In a similar manner, the society may dictate the use of a language with regards to the different social situations in existence, cultural norms of the people, as well as other guiding principles such as ethics, gender rules and ethnicity. Robins (2013) notes that variation is an important aspect of language learning and understanding. Variations may exist as intraspeaker variations or intergroup language variation. Among users or speakers of a particular language, there are not two people who speak exactly the same way hence language variation of the speakers. Therefore, this claim waters down the argument that languages can be referred to as being homogenous as huge variations exist in the utilization of the languages. Apparently, understanding a language requires a large knowledge base on the utilization of sounds and meanings to achieve proper communication. Despite the existence of variations, language learning and understanding is minimally affected within the society. In a ground breaking research, Coates (2015) found out that language variation could be associated with different social factors to explain the role of sociolinguistics and its impact on understanding a language. Since it was difficult to study specific areas of sociolinguistics such as language, dialect, accent, sociolects, register and jargons separately, the research adopted a collective approach to understanding language and the application of sociolinguistics by focusing on linguistics items. As established, learning or gaining an understanding of a language, would be easy if one focused on word usage, sounds of the language and its grammatical constructs. The other important aspect to understanding a language through the study of sociolinguistics was the linguistic distribution across regions, for example, it would be easy to learn the American English if one understood and used the British English. However, the research revealed problems related to the definition of the term dialect. According to Lupyan and Dale (2015) the term dialect could be understood as the existing geographical variety of a language where the same language spoken by a people differs from one geographical location to another. On the other hand, Coetzee and Pater (2011) defined dialect as a language variety caused by users not only because of geographical differences but also social class and context. The need for understanding language variations could be ascertained through examining different language dialects to appreciate how the variations impact the understanding of a language. There is a very tiny distinction between language and dialect. Spitzer (2015), explores the existence of dialects in a particular language and how the dialects are utilized to identify correct usage of a language. One of their findings was that people living in the same cultural setting are highly unlikely to understand the stipulations that govern their language systems but are able to immediately recognize an incorrect usage of the language. Seeking to understand how language is used in different social spaces, the research conducted an inquiry into how men and women use language to communicate. Additionally, the research used examples of how children and teens utilized language as well as how people occupying different social classes employed language for communication purpose. Furthermore, the research delved into finding out how dialects influences the use of languages across diverse regional locations that used the same language. For example, the research used examples from people speaking English in America, Europe and Australia. Useful information was covered in this research paper to aid the understanding of how sociolinguistics affected the ability of people to understand languages and language use. Several critical sociolinguistics researchers have tried to define, explain and demonstrate the importance of linguistic variations in understanding languages. A study conducted by Meyerhoff (2015) established that variation is a unique characteristic of all languages. Further, the language patterns that were exhibited through the existence of variations carried different meaning in social settings. Markedly, the focus on language variations increased in the recent past where researchers sought to understand how variations affected the meaning and process of understanding the language. In another research Hinskens (2015) confesses that language variations holds an important position in understanding how people use languages within their different social spaces. By making choices on pronunciation, word selection, grammar and morphology, language variations occur and can be used to distinguish between speakers of the language. Other factors that were identified as to cause variation in the use of a language include the speaker’s purpose of communicating, demographic affiliations, relationship between the speakers and the audience and the circumstances within which the communication is taking place. In agreement with Hinskens (2015), McConnell (2014) offers support to the claims that women and men actually exhibit different language usage and patterns. Pointing out to specific examples, the research study succeeds in demonstrating that men and women employ slightly different styles of conversation in different communication settings. Within research focus areas such as the United States, the Great Britain and Australia, a manifold focus in the field of sociolinguistics has shifted from general aspects of language to seeking a better understanding of how women and men use language as well as how their usage affect communication. Furthermore, the research sought to find out how different factors of culture, age and ethnicity affected how men and women conversed. The major finding of the research study revealed that with the advent of technology and globalization, each generation bore new aspects of understanding language and how social relations between men and women affected communication. Could changes in gender roles within the society affected the manner in which men and women used language (Dörnyei, 2014)? However, the research also found out that people had already accepted that gender relations and the changing roles of men and women in the modern society has contributed significantly to the shifts experienced in language styles and patterns used for communication. According to Von Flotow (2016), the findings of an American anthropologist about differences in the use of language sparked the discussion about whether there existed discrepancies between men and women’s language styles. During the 20th century, women selectively and distinctly used language due to their insecure societal position at the time. The linguistic strategies adopted by women during the period revealed hidden feelings and attitudes during communication. On the other hand, men who held authoritative societal position used language to intimidate, command and order people. Notably, linguistic strategies adopted by men and women were distinctly different, which affected how people understood language. The analysis described men as forceful, blunt, serious, masterful and efficient regarding their language and communication styles while the language style adopted by women was regarded as deviant. As it was the norm, women were expected to be submissive and meek; consequently, their linguistic styles were to be less masterful but point towards a sense of obedience to the men. However, claims that social class and education level influenced differences between language uses among the women, were ascertained at the end of the 19th century. Focusing on the linguistic styles adopted by learned women and the illiterate ones, Montemagni and Wieling (2016) offered support and evidence to the existence of differences of the language adopted by women. Learned women with an education at the university level spoke with confidence and asked critical questions during communication, while the illiterate women only listened and spoke meekly. The overall effect of the linguistic style shifts was a change in language use between men and women. Linguistic changes occurred only in the existence of linguistic heterogeneity where a specific sub-group of the society started to utilize a certain language system that can only be understood by them. However, one of the persistent characteristic of changing linguistic patterns and styles was language variation in different social spaces. Notably, this research raised questions and aspersions on the evidences used to support the claims that there exists continued differences in the way men and women communicated. Qualitative analysis had been relied upon by many researchers leaving out the possibility of different results that could be presented by a quantitative analysis of a similar research topic. Fascinating findings about the utilization of language by adolescents were presented by Rampton (2017) citing that the adolescence stage was a product of industrial society. Linguistic styles among the youth were mostly established with an aim to create boundaries while maintaining particular adolescent groups and sub-groups. One could identify adolescent groups by analyzing language patterns, verbal styles and linguistic resources employed such as phonology, morphology, syntax and discourse. Moreover, the research revealed that stark language variety and differences existed among youths within the same location and different locations. School significantly shapes the linguistic styles of the youth as they are forced to drop their vernacular languages to learn and understand a new language. The shift from vernacular language styles to the new language paradigms also affected they manner in which adolescents communicated. It was established that there was a close association between adopted linguistic styles of communication with education, vernacular, social class and institutional affiliations. As a branding method, the research found out that linguistic styles by adolescents were used to separate individuals and groups from others to gain identity and recognition as well as acceptance. Syntax and Discourse From a literature perspective, syntax can be defined as the manner in which a speaker or a writer places different words together to achieve meaning [CITE]. In the English language, the syntax rule stipulates that words should follow a subject-verb-object agreement to convey meaning to listeners or readers. However, artists, singers and poets may play around with the syntax rules to achieve rhythm, questioning effect or rhetoric patterns. Formalized theories that tried to explain and understand linguistic structures were advanced by Chomsky who had developed an interest in language at a tender age. According to Moro, Chomsky (2015) Chomsky dedicated himself to finding out the structures of a language and constructing explaining models to understand the need, use, evolution and continuous changes experienced by language and linguistic styles. His major aim for studying issues of syntax was to create models that would guide the correct formulating of sentence to communicate efficiently. Additionally, syntax would help people in communication to derive meaning or understanding. On the other hand, discourse, a second aspect of sociolinguistics assisted people to analyze a language beyond the sentence. Discourse analysis contrasts with grammar analysis of understanding sentences and language use by particular societies and groups of people (Chomsky, 2015). To understand a language, a learner must appreciate the importance of discourse in analyzing meaning of sentences and how other aspects of language such as morphology, phonology and syntactic structure. Through the analysis of discourse within a language, researchers were able to understand how the meaning within a sentence was affected. Moreover, discourse provides an opportunity for listeners and speakers to evaluate their sentences and language patterns to ascertain the effect of their word choices on meaning, impressions and messages conveyed. The linguistic strategy used in understanding the role of discourse in a sentence by explaining the actions of the speaker and the reactions of the listeners. Discourse makers play an important role in giving meaning to sentences, connecting sentences and ideas. Words like “well” “and” “or” “but” and “oh” are mostly used by speakers and listeners to interrupt another speaker in order to express their feelings and opinions about a particular subject. Different languages may adopt the use of discourses and syntactic structure to help convey the right messages to the listeners. The use of words like “oh” are used by speakers to introduce an objection or to prepare listeners to remember-this item and to emphasize on the major points. Public speakers need to understand the importance, usage and application of the two major linguistic aspects known as syntactic structure and discourse. References Chomsky, N. (2015). Turning the tide: US intervention in Central America and the struggle for peace. Haymarket Books. Coates, J. (2015). Women, men and language: A sociolinguistic account of gender differences in language. Routledge. Coetzee, A. W., & Pater, J. (2011). The place of variation in phonological theory. The handbook of phonological theory, 401-434. Dörnyei, Z. (2014). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Routledge. Hayes, B., Curtiss, S., Szabolcsi, A., Stowell, T., Stabler, E., Sportiche, D., ... & Steriade, D. (2013). Linguistics: An introduction to linguistic theory. John Wiley & Sons. Hinskens, F. (2015). Dialect levelling in Limburg: Structural and sociolinguistic aspects (Vol. 356). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. Lupyan, G., & Dale, R. A. (2015). The role of adaptation in understanding linguistic diversity. Language structure and environment: Social, cultural, and natural factors, 287-16. McConnell, D. (2014). Implementing computing supported cooperative learning. Routledge. Meyerhoff, M. (2015). Introducing sociolinguistics. Routledge. Montemagni, S., & Wieling, M. (2016). Tracking linguistic features underlying lexical variation patterns: A case study on Tuscan dialects. The Future of Dialects: Selected Papers from Methods in Dialectology XV, 117-134. Moro, A., & Chomsky, N. (2015). The boundaries of Babel: The brain and the enigma of impossible languages. MIT press. Rampton, B. (2017). Crossing: Language and ethnicity among adolescents. Routledge. Robins, R. H. (2013). A short history of linguistics. Routledge. Spitzer, L. (2015). Linguistics and literary history: Essays in stylistics (Vol. 2270). Princeton University Press. Stubbs, M. (2014). Language and Literacy (RLE Linguistics C: Applied Linguistics): The Sociolinguistics of Reading and Writing. Routledge. Von Flotow, L. (2016). Translation and Gender: Translating in the'era of Feminism'. Routledge. Xia, X. (2013). Gender differences in using language. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(8), 1485. Read More