Author: David Hornsby
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351560948
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
The coming together of linguistics and sociology in the 1960's, most notably via the work of William Labov, marked a revolution in the study of language and provided a paradigm for the understanding of variation and change. Labovian quantitative methods have been employed successfully in North America, the UK, Scandinavia and New Zealand, but have had surprisingly little resonance in France, a country which poses many challenges to orthodox sociolinguistic thinking. Why, for example, does a nation with unexceptional scores on income distribution and social mobility show an exceptionally high degree of linguistic levelling, that is, the elimination of marked regional or local speech forms? And why does French appear to abound in 'hyperstyle' variables, which show greater variation on the stylistic than on the social dimension, in defiance of a well-established theory than such variables should not occur? This volume brings together leading variationist sociolinguists and sociologists from both sides of the Channel to ask: what makes France'exceptional'? In addressing this question, variationists have been forced to reassess the accepted interdisciplinary consensus, and to ask, as sociolinguistics has come of age, whether concepts and definitions have been transposed in a way which meaningfully preserves their original sense and, crucially, takes account of recent developments in sociology. Sociologists, for their part, have focused on the largely neglected area of language variation and its implications for social theory. Their findings therefore transcend the case study of a particularly enigmatic country to raise important theoretical questions for both disciplines.
Language and Social Structure in Urban France
Author: David Hornsby
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351560948
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
The coming together of linguistics and sociology in the 1960's, most notably via the work of William Labov, marked a revolution in the study of language and provided a paradigm for the understanding of variation and change. Labovian quantitative methods have been employed successfully in North America, the UK, Scandinavia and New Zealand, but have had surprisingly little resonance in France, a country which poses many challenges to orthodox sociolinguistic thinking. Why, for example, does a nation with unexceptional scores on income distribution and social mobility show an exceptionally high degree of linguistic levelling, that is, the elimination of marked regional or local speech forms? And why does French appear to abound in 'hyperstyle' variables, which show greater variation on the stylistic than on the social dimension, in defiance of a well-established theory than such variables should not occur? This volume brings together leading variationist sociolinguists and sociologists from both sides of the Channel to ask: what makes France'exceptional'? In addressing this question, variationists have been forced to reassess the accepted interdisciplinary consensus, and to ask, as sociolinguistics has come of age, whether concepts and definitions have been transposed in a way which meaningfully preserves their original sense and, crucially, takes account of recent developments in sociology. Sociologists, for their part, have focused on the largely neglected area of language variation and its implications for social theory. Their findings therefore transcend the case study of a particularly enigmatic country to raise important theoretical questions for both disciplines.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351560948
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
The coming together of linguistics and sociology in the 1960's, most notably via the work of William Labov, marked a revolution in the study of language and provided a paradigm for the understanding of variation and change. Labovian quantitative methods have been employed successfully in North America, the UK, Scandinavia and New Zealand, but have had surprisingly little resonance in France, a country which poses many challenges to orthodox sociolinguistic thinking. Why, for example, does a nation with unexceptional scores on income distribution and social mobility show an exceptionally high degree of linguistic levelling, that is, the elimination of marked regional or local speech forms? And why does French appear to abound in 'hyperstyle' variables, which show greater variation on the stylistic than on the social dimension, in defiance of a well-established theory than such variables should not occur? This volume brings together leading variationist sociolinguists and sociologists from both sides of the Channel to ask: what makes France'exceptional'? In addressing this question, variationists have been forced to reassess the accepted interdisciplinary consensus, and to ask, as sociolinguistics has come of age, whether concepts and definitions have been transposed in a way which meaningfully preserves their original sense and, crucially, takes account of recent developments in sociology. Sociologists, for their part, have focused on the largely neglected area of language variation and its implications for social theory. Their findings therefore transcend the case study of a particularly enigmatic country to raise important theoretical questions for both disciplines.
Sociolinguistics in African Contexts
Author: Augustin Emmanuel Ebongue
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319496115
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 349
Book Description
This volume offers a new perspective on sociolinguistics in Africa. Eschewing the traditional approach which looks at the interaction between European and African languages in the wake of colonialism, this book turns its focus to the social dynamics of African languages and African societies. Divided into two sections, the book offers insight into the crucial topics such as: language vitality and endangerment, the birth of ‘new languages’, a sociolinguistics of the city, language contact and language politics. It spans the continent from Algeria to South Africa, Guinea-Bissau to Kenya and addresses the following broad themes: Language variation, contact and changeThe dynamics of urban, rural and youth languagesPolicy and practice This book provides an alternative to the Eurocentric view of sociolinguistic dynamics in Africa, and will make an ideal read or supplemental textbook for scholars and students in the field/disciplines of African languages and linguistics, and those interested in southern theory or ‘sociolinguistics in the margins’.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319496115
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 349
Book Description
This volume offers a new perspective on sociolinguistics in Africa. Eschewing the traditional approach which looks at the interaction between European and African languages in the wake of colonialism, this book turns its focus to the social dynamics of African languages and African societies. Divided into two sections, the book offers insight into the crucial topics such as: language vitality and endangerment, the birth of ‘new languages’, a sociolinguistics of the city, language contact and language politics. It spans the continent from Algeria to South Africa, Guinea-Bissau to Kenya and addresses the following broad themes: Language variation, contact and changeThe dynamics of urban, rural and youth languagesPolicy and practice This book provides an alternative to the Eurocentric view of sociolinguistic dynamics in Africa, and will make an ideal read or supplemental textbook for scholars and students in the field/disciplines of African languages and linguistics, and those interested in southern theory or ‘sociolinguistics in the margins’.
The Languages of Urban Africa
Author: Fiona Mc Laughlin
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1441158138
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 371
Book Description
The Languages of Urban Africa consists of a series of case studies that address four main themes. The first is the history of African urban languages. The second set focus on theoretical issues in the study of African urban languages, exploring the outcomes of intense multilingualism and also the ways in which urban dwellers form their speech communities. The volume then moves on to explore the relationship between language and identity in the urban setting. The final two case studies in the volume address the evolution of urban languages in Africa. This rich set of chapters examine languages and speech communities in ten geographically diverse African urban centres, covering almost all regions of the continent. Half involve Francophone cities, the other half, Anglophone. This exciting volume shows us what the study of urban African languages can tell us about language and about African societies in general. It is essential reading for upper level undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers in sociolinguistics, especially those interested in the language of Africa.
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1441158138
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 371
Book Description
The Languages of Urban Africa consists of a series of case studies that address four main themes. The first is the history of African urban languages. The second set focus on theoretical issues in the study of African urban languages, exploring the outcomes of intense multilingualism and also the ways in which urban dwellers form their speech communities. The volume then moves on to explore the relationship between language and identity in the urban setting. The final two case studies in the volume address the evolution of urban languages in Africa. This rich set of chapters examine languages and speech communities in ten geographically diverse African urban centres, covering almost all regions of the continent. Half involve Francophone cities, the other half, Anglophone. This exciting volume shows us what the study of urban African languages can tell us about language and about African societies in general. It is essential reading for upper level undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers in sociolinguistics, especially those interested in the language of Africa.
Dialectological and Folk Dialectological Concepts of Space
Author: Sandra Hansen
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110229129
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 308
Book Description
In variational linguistics, the concept of space has always been a central issue. However, different research traditions considering space coexisted for a long time separately. Traditional dialectology focused primarily on the diatopic dimension of linguistic variation, whereas in sociolinguistic studies diastratic and diaphasic dimensions were considered. For a long time only very few linguistic investigations tried to combine both research traditions in a two-dimensional design – a desideratum which is meant to be compensated by the contributions of this volume. The articles present findings from empirical studies which take on these different concepts and examine how they relate to one another. Besides dialectological and sociolinguistic concepts also a lay perspective of linguistic space is considered, a paradigm that is often referred to as “folk dialectology”. Many of the studies in this volume make use of new computational possibilities of processing and cartographically representing large corpora of linguistic data. The empirical studies incorporate findings from different linguistic communities in Europe and pursue the objective to shed light on the inter-relationship between the different concepts of space and their relevance to variational linguistics.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110229129
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 308
Book Description
In variational linguistics, the concept of space has always been a central issue. However, different research traditions considering space coexisted for a long time separately. Traditional dialectology focused primarily on the diatopic dimension of linguistic variation, whereas in sociolinguistic studies diastratic and diaphasic dimensions were considered. For a long time only very few linguistic investigations tried to combine both research traditions in a two-dimensional design – a desideratum which is meant to be compensated by the contributions of this volume. The articles present findings from empirical studies which take on these different concepts and examine how they relate to one another. Besides dialectological and sociolinguistic concepts also a lay perspective of linguistic space is considered, a paradigm that is often referred to as “folk dialectology”. Many of the studies in this volume make use of new computational possibilities of processing and cartographically representing large corpora of linguistic data. The empirical studies incorporate findings from different linguistic communities in Europe and pursue the objective to shed light on the inter-relationship between the different concepts of space and their relevance to variational linguistics.
Cityscapes and Perceptual Dialectology
Author: Jennifer Cramer
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 1501500260
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 299
Book Description
This edited collection presents papers relating to the state of the art in Perceptual Dialectology research. The authors take an international view of the field of Perceptual Dialectology, broadly defined, to assess the similarities and contrasts in non-linguists’ perceptions of the dialect landscape. The volume is global in focus, and chapters discuss data gathered in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, and South Korea. The common methods used by many of the contributors means that readers will be able to draw comparisons from the breadth of the volume. The primary focus of this volume is geared toward an examination of dialect perceptions in and of cities, with an additional goal of presenting empirical, theoretical, and methodological advancements in Perceptual Dialectology. Authors’ contributions to the collection examine how the urban setting influences perceptions of linguistic variation and, in the course of examining the connections between place and perceptions, explore several interrelated themes of linguistic variation, including the differences in the perception of rural and urban areas, processes of perception and language change, and the relationship between perception and ‘reality’.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 1501500260
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 299
Book Description
This edited collection presents papers relating to the state of the art in Perceptual Dialectology research. The authors take an international view of the field of Perceptual Dialectology, broadly defined, to assess the similarities and contrasts in non-linguists’ perceptions of the dialect landscape. The volume is global in focus, and chapters discuss data gathered in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, and South Korea. The common methods used by many of the contributors means that readers will be able to draw comparisons from the breadth of the volume. The primary focus of this volume is geared toward an examination of dialect perceptions in and of cities, with an additional goal of presenting empirical, theoretical, and methodological advancements in Perceptual Dialectology. Authors’ contributions to the collection examine how the urban setting influences perceptions of linguistic variation and, in the course of examining the connections between place and perceptions, explore several interrelated themes of linguistic variation, including the differences in the perception of rural and urban areas, processes of perception and language change, and the relationship between perception and ‘reality’.
The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Sociolinguistics
Author: Enam Al-Wer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317525000
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 407
Book Description
The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Sociolinguistics comprises 22 chapters encompassing various aspects in the study of Arabic dialects within their sociolinguistic context. This is a novel volume, which not only includes the traditional topics in variationist sociolinguistics, but also links the sociolinguistic enterprise to the history of Arabic and to applications of sociolinguistics beyond the theoretical treatment of variation. Newly formed trends, with an eye to future research, form the backbone of this volume. With contributions from an international pool of researchers, this volume will be of interest to scholars and students of Arabic sociolinguistics, as well as to linguists interested in a concise, rounded view of the field.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317525000
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 407
Book Description
The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Sociolinguistics comprises 22 chapters encompassing various aspects in the study of Arabic dialects within their sociolinguistic context. This is a novel volume, which not only includes the traditional topics in variationist sociolinguistics, but also links the sociolinguistic enterprise to the history of Arabic and to applications of sociolinguistics beyond the theoretical treatment of variation. Newly formed trends, with an eye to future research, form the backbone of this volume. With contributions from an international pool of researchers, this volume will be of interest to scholars and students of Arabic sociolinguistics, as well as to linguists interested in a concise, rounded view of the field.
Variation and Change in French Morphosyntax
Author: Anna Tristram
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351537857
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
Collective nouns such asmajorite or foulehave long been of interest to linguists for their unusual semantic properties, and provide a valuable source of new data on the evolution of French grammar. This book tests the hypothesis that plural agreement with collective nouns is becoming more frequent in French. Through an analysis of data from a variety of sources, including sociolinguistic interviews, gap-fill tests and corpora, the complex linguistic and external factors which affect this type of agreement are examined, shedding new light on their interaction in this context. Broader questions concerning the methodological challenges of studying variation and change in morphosyntax, and the application of sociolinguistic generalisations to the French of France, are also addressed.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351537857
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
Collective nouns such asmajorite or foulehave long been of interest to linguists for their unusual semantic properties, and provide a valuable source of new data on the evolution of French grammar. This book tests the hypothesis that plural agreement with collective nouns is becoming more frequent in French. Through an analysis of data from a variety of sources, including sociolinguistic interviews, gap-fill tests and corpora, the complex linguistic and external factors which affect this type of agreement are examined, shedding new light on their interaction in this context. Broader questions concerning the methodological challenges of studying variation and change in morphosyntax, and the application of sociolinguistic generalisations to the French of France, are also addressed.
Language, Power and Identity Politics
Author: Máiréad Nic Craith
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230592848
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 239
Book Description
Dominance, identity and resistance are key themes in this examination of language in global, virtual and local settings. It focuses on world languages, linguistic rights and minority protection. Case studies explore the social strategies employed by migrants speaking non-indigenous tongues and the effect of religion in sensitive political contexts.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230592848
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 239
Book Description
Dominance, identity and resistance are key themes in this examination of language in global, virtual and local settings. It focuses on world languages, linguistic rights and minority protection. Case studies explore the social strategies employed by migrants speaking non-indigenous tongues and the effect of religion in sensitive political contexts.
Modern Arabic Sociolinguistics
Author: Abdulkafi Albirini
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317407067
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 439
Book Description
Modern Arabic Sociolinguistics outlines and evaluates the major approaches and methods used in Arabic sociolinguistic research with respect to diglossia, codeswitching, language variation and attitudes and social identity. This book: outlines the main research findings in these core areas and relates them to a wide range of constructs, including social context, speech communities, prestige, power, language planning, gender and religion examines two emerging areas in Arabic sociolinguistic research, internet-mediated communication and heritage speakers, in relation to globalization, language dominance and interference and language loss and maintenance analyses the interplay between the various sociolinguistic aspects and examines the complex nature of the Arabic multidialectal, multinational, and multiethnic sociolinguistic situation. Based on the author’s recent fieldwork in several Arab countries this book is an essential resource for researchers and students of sociolinguistics, Arabic linguistics, and Arabic studies.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317407067
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 439
Book Description
Modern Arabic Sociolinguistics outlines and evaluates the major approaches and methods used in Arabic sociolinguistic research with respect to diglossia, codeswitching, language variation and attitudes and social identity. This book: outlines the main research findings in these core areas and relates them to a wide range of constructs, including social context, speech communities, prestige, power, language planning, gender and religion examines two emerging areas in Arabic sociolinguistic research, internet-mediated communication and heritage speakers, in relation to globalization, language dominance and interference and language loss and maintenance analyses the interplay between the various sociolinguistic aspects and examines the complex nature of the Arabic multidialectal, multinational, and multiethnic sociolinguistic situation. Based on the author’s recent fieldwork in several Arab countries this book is an essential resource for researchers and students of sociolinguistics, Arabic linguistics, and Arabic studies.
The Languages and Linguistics of Africa
Author: Tom Güldemann
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110421666
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1034
Book Description
This innovative handbook takes a fresh look at the currently underestimated linguistic diversity of Africa, the continent with the largest number of languages in the world. It covers the major domains of linguistics, offering both a representative picture of Africa’s linguistic landscape as well as new and at times unconventional perspectives. The focus is not so much on exhaustiveness as on the fruitful relationship between African and general linguistics and the contributions the two domains can make to each other. This volume is thus intended for readers with a specific interest in African languages and also for students and scholars within the greater discipline of linguistics.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110421666
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1034
Book Description
This innovative handbook takes a fresh look at the currently underestimated linguistic diversity of Africa, the continent with the largest number of languages in the world. It covers the major domains of linguistics, offering both a representative picture of Africa’s linguistic landscape as well as new and at times unconventional perspectives. The focus is not so much on exhaustiveness as on the fruitful relationship between African and general linguistics and the contributions the two domains can make to each other. This volume is thus intended for readers with a specific interest in African languages and also for students and scholars within the greater discipline of linguistics.