Presented By :Aymen Latif

The scope of inquiry

o Sociolinguistics is the field that studies the relation
between
language and society
Primary task of linguistics
o To map linguistics variation on to social conditions it
help to understand
Synchronic Diachronic
( variation at a ( variation over
point of time) time)
Complementary approaches
scholars What they pursue
o Formal linguistics o An autonomous system or
significant elements that
explain the design and
structure of the human brain.

o How the system works and

o Psycholinguist
how it can be learned or lost.
Continues….
Scholars What they pursue
o Sociolinguist o How the system is used in a
living and complex speech
community.
o Applied linguist
o How to help people learn
language and how to use it
effectively to deal with
problems of practical daily
life.
Sociolinguistics
Micro end of SL
o Explores the ways in which
society influences a specific
language of a person.
Macro end of SL
o Focuses more on society as a
whole, in relation to
language.
Some scholars divide the divide
into two parts
o Sociolinguistics o sociology of language
(the social influences ( the role of language in
on language) society)
The methods of inquiry
o In sociolinguistics is
the observer’s paradox (Labov’s)
o It means
how can we observe the way peoples speak
when they are nor being observed?
What do sociolinguistics look for?
o Sociolinguistics is looking for evidence of socially
accepted rules accounting for variations in speech.
o In part
the characteristics of the speaker
( The speech variation.) (the nature of
speech encounter)
The sociolinguist at work
Clandestine • Abandoned for ethical and practical reasons
• Now the subjects are asked for permission.
Recording

• Developed by William Lobov.

Sociolinguistic
• Sociolinguist elicits examples of various
interview kinds of speech.

Non-intrusive • Simple questions for large population.

responses
Continues…..

Variable
• Likely to prove of
social significance.

Questionnaires
• The most common
tool for gathering data
Thank You 