Hello, Everyone!

Part I

Review Exercises

Questions

1. Define the following 4 terms: 1) bound morpheme 2) free morpheme 3) derivational morpheme 4) inflectional morpheme

Questions

2. List as many as possible methods for the addition of new words.

3. What are the 3 processes for semantic change of words?

Part II

New Content

Chapter 8

Language and Society

8.1

The Scope of Sociolinguistics

Definition

Sociolinguistics is the sub-field of linguistics that studies the relation between language and society, between the uses of language and the social structures in which the users of language live.

8.1.1

The Relatedness between Language and society

1. Question

In what ways is language related with society?

2. Relatedness between Language and society (1)

1. While language is principally used to communicate meaning, it is also used to establish and maintain social relationships.

2. Relatedness between Language and society (2)2. Users of the same language in

a sense all speak differently. The kind of language each of them chooses to use is in part determined by his social background. And language, in its turn, reveals information about its speaker.

2. Relatedness between Language and society (3)3. To some extent, language,

especially the structure of its lexicon, reflects both the physical and the social environments of a society.

2. Relatedness between Language and society (4)

4. As a social phenomenon, language is closely related to the structure of the society in which it is used, and the evaluation of a linguistic form is entirely social.

8.1.2

Speech Community and Speech Variety

1. Speech Community

The social group that is singled out for any special study is called the speech community. In sociolinguistics, it refers to the a group of people who do in fact have the opportunity to interact with each other and who share not just a single language with its related varieties, but also attitudes toward linguistic norms.

2. Speech Variety

Speech variety, or language variety, refers to any distinguishable form of speech used by a speaker or a group of speakers.

8.1.2

Two approaches to scociolinguistic studies

1. Macro-Scociolinguistics

Macro-sociolinguistics is a bird’s-eye view of the languages used in society. It looks at society as a whole and considers how languaguage functions in it and how it reflects the social differentiations.

2. Micro-Sociolinguistics

Micro-sociolinguistics is a worm’s-eye view of language in use. It looks at society from the point of view of and individual member within it.

8.2 Varieties of language

Varieties of language

8.2.1

Dialectal varieties

1. Regional dialects

A regional dialect is a linguistic variety used by people living in the same geographical region.

2. Sociolect

Sociolect, or social-class dialect, refers to the linguistic variety characteristic of a particular class.

3. Language and gender

The language used by men and women have some special features of their own.

Question: In what ways is language used

by women different from that by men?

4. Language and age

In many communities the language used by the old generation differs from that used by the younger generation in certain ways.

5. Idiolect Idiolect is a personal dialect of an

individual speaker that combines elements regarding regional, social, gender, and age variations. In other words, an individual speaker’s regional and social background, his/her gender and age jointly determine the way he/she talks. And the language he/she uses, which bears distinctive features of his/her own, is his/her idiolect.

6. Ethnic dialect

An ethnic dialect is a social dialect of a language spoken by a less privileged population that has experience some form of social isolation such as racial discrimination or segregation.

8.2.2

Register

1. Register

Register (语域 ) refers to the type pf language which is selected as appropriate to the type of situation.

2. Field of discourse

Field of discourse (话语范围 ) refers to what is going on, to the area of operation of the language activity. “Why” and “about what”.

3. Tenor of discourse

Tenor of discourse (话语基调 ) refers to the role of relationship in the situation in question: who the participants in the communication groups are and in what relationship they stand to each other. “To whom”.

4. Mode of discourse

Mode of discourse (话语方式 ) mainly refers to the means of communication. “How”.

8.2.3

Degree of formality

1. General idea

Language used on different occasions differs in the degree of formality, which is determined by the social variables.

2. Question

On what levels of language can degree of formality be analyzed?

And style?

Homework

1. Review 2. Pp. 126 Ex.1-6 (oral) 3. Prepare

Chapter 8 (3-5)