PROGRESS TEST 2

Introduction to Sociolinguistics
Duration: 3 May – 8 May 2020
Caution: Please do the test joyfully and wholeheartedly.
Dear students,

Due to the change in our studying mode (from offline to online meetings), we also have to adjust our
plans. Originally, we had different forms of Progress Test 2 (Project 2 oral presentation). However, to
accommodate distance learning, the form of the test has been changed. The objectives of the test are:

1) To help students understand the concepts of sociolinguistics which will benefit for their future
study and research (thesis writing, graduate programs, academic research, etc.), by allowing
them to review the definition of sociolinguistic terms AND provide their own examples based
on their understanding. Please read the Sociolinguistics Module and the PDF file (Chapter 9) I
have sent you earlier.
2) To give students opportunity to put their understanding into practice through discourse
analysis practice of dialogs. The dialogs will be taken from the movie we are familiar with, The
Magic of Ordinary Days. The reason for using the movie is that it provides us the same frame of
reference. Don’t worry, you may use other films for your Final Test Paper.

The first part of the test consists of 15 sociolinguistic terms to be defined. You may quote the definition
from the pdf handout, book, google, or any other sources. Then, provide an EXAMPLE of the term based
on your own understanding. The examples can be based on your experience, or from a movie, stories in
novels. The examples must be ORIGINAL, not just copying and pasting from any texts.

The second part of the test includes two sample dialogs from the movie TMOOD and you are asked to
read the dialogue and comment on the discourse in terms of linguistic variation (dialect, accent, style,
registers), social factors related to language variation (gender, age, addressee, degree of formality,
social distance, etc.), politeness, speech functions, Grice’s Cooperative Principles etc.

Do the test offline. You have a few days to do the test. Before submitting the file, rename the document
into: SocioPT2_YourName OR SocioPT2_Monalisa.

Send the file to belajar.usd.ac.id. The due date is 8 May 2020. Thank you.

Direction:

PART I: Please write the definition in the slots provided. Look at the example.

Maxim of Relevance

Click here to enter text.

Click here to enter text.

Your answers:
Maxim of Relevance

Definition: Maxim of Relevance is one of Grice’s Cooperative Principles in conversation. It

directs speakers to organize their utterances in such a way that they are relevant to the ongoing
context: Be relevant at the time of the utterance.
Example:
In the movie TMOOD, 00:48:52, listen to this conversation.
Hank: I’m considering beans in the north field.
Ray: Oh yeah?
Hank: The price of beans can’t go anywhere but up.
Ray: Yeah.
Hank: Well, what do you think?
Ray: I’ve been thinking about..eh…about Troy.
Hank: Troy who?

Ray is violating the maxim of relevance because his answer to Hank’s question does not really
answer Hank’s question “What do you think about planting beans in the north field.” Ray’s
answer is more to accommodate Livy’s earlier complaint about getting bored of the
conversations related to crops and weather. In the car, Livy says that it is good to talk to Rose
and Flory, college students themselves, because they talk about everything but crops and the
weather. Ray wants to give Livy an opportunity to talk about Troy, the topic she knows a lot
about. Ray is being empathetic to Livy by violating the maxim of relevance.

1. Code-switching

Definition: Code switching is when a speaker alternates in one conversation between two or more
languages (or dialects, or language varieties).

Example:

I use code-switching to exclude others who do not speak the second language form a conversation.
When my Javanese friend and I talking with some friends who are not from Java, we switched to
Javanese to exclude them if we were talking about them.

2. Cooperative Principles

Definition: Cooperative Principle is presumed that the conversation participants usually seek to be
informative, honest, relevant and clear.

Example:
This is the conversation between me and my friend after she broke up with her boyfriend.
me : It’s hard to accept that he wants breakup with you. What happened?
My friend : He want breakup with me after he saw my phone.
In the example, it shows that my friend’s is ambiguous and not obeying the maxim of manner. It
might be interpreted that seeing phone makes a broken relationship. Another interpretation is that
he didn’t want breakup because of seeing that phone. He read or found evidence that my friend
cheated on him in her phone.

3. Maxim of Quantity

Definition: The maxim of quantity is where one tries to be as informative as one might possible, and
gives as much detail as is required, and no more.

Example: This is the conversation from Midnight Summer movie (00.08.44)

Cad : Uhh, what are you doin’?

Charly : dodging another bullet.

it shows that Charly is obeying the maxim of quantity by giving as the information as is needed.

4. Illocution

Definition: Illocution is the intention of the speaker of what is to be done through the act of
speaking. In hope that the other person who hears the statements will accomplish it for the speaker.

Example: When Indah was massaging me, some of the other friend tease Indah by saying “Wah, aku
juga pegel niih!” which means ‘I also want to be massaged’ to show indirect request that they want
to get some massage

5. Lingua Franca

Definition: Lingua Franca is a language or combination of languages used as a means of

communication by people whose mother tongues vary. It derives from Italian, "language" +
"Frankish" and is also recognized as a language of exchange, a language of communication, a foreign
language and a world language.

Example: In classroom, there are a friend who came from different region. It makes us have different
spoken languages to speak to people from the same background.  As the Lingua Franca, we use
Bahasa Indonesia or English to make everybody understand.

6. Pidgin

Definition: In linguistics, a pidgin (pronounced PIDG-in) is a condensed mode of speech made up of

one or more existing languages and is used as a lingua franca by people who do not have any other
popular language. Sometimes known as an auxiliary language or a pidgin language.

Example: In Sephongebob, we may hear some slangs such as ‘ahoy’ which means hello. These words
are first of all Pidgin English, which in the other language is the most common words.
7. Pragmatics

Definition: Pragmatics looks beyond the actual sense of an utterance and explores how sense is built
and reflects on meanings implied. It considers language as an instrument of interaction, what it
means when people use language and how we communicate and understand each other.

Example: My lecturer ever gave us some messages to support us during the learning at home due to
this coronavirus outbreak by saying “Hang in there, everyone is on the same boat.” It doesn't mean
completely that we are sailing with the same boat in the sea now, but being pragmatically in the
same boat means we are in the same unfortunate situation. We understand from the context where
the sentence is used that she urged the students to stay hopeful in this pandemic.

8. Register

Definition: In linguistics the register is characterized in various circumstances as the way a speaker
uses language differently.

Example: Me when asking my friend about the assignment, I will say in Javanese “Ndes, mau tugase
kon kepie?” But, when I asks the lecturer, I will say in polite English “Excuse me, Ms. I’m sorry for
disturbing your time. I want to ask about the assignment that you gave last week…. :)” It shows that
he uses the informal register as a friend, while I use the formal one to the lecturer whose level is
‘higher’ to show the politeness.

9. Social Dialect

Definition: Social dialect is a set of discourses associated with a specific social class or occupational
community within a society. Often recognized as a dialect of socioculture, community idiolect, and
class.

Example: In Javanese language, there are three levels of languages to shows politeness which are
ngoko, krama madya, krama inggil. We can use ngoko or madya to speak with people who are on
the same level with us such as friends or younger. But we only use ‘krama inggil’ to the people who
has ‘high level’ of society such as older people.

10. Speech Act

Definition: A speech act is an utterance described in terms of the intention of the speaker and its
effect on the listener. Basically, it's the action the speaker is trying to inspire in his audience. Speech
actions may be demands, threats, assurances, excuses, greetings or any number of claims.

Example: TMOOD – 6:15

In the morning, Livvy greeted Ray.

Livvy : Good morning!

Ray : Mornin’.

That utterance shows expressive speech act as an action to greet someone.

11. Hedging

Definition: Hedging in ordinary discourse can be as simple as saying "maybe," "strong" or

"somewhat." This may be helpful in having a strong opinion come out in a respectful professional
way, such as in, "I'd say that to some degree ..." At the other end of the extreme, in times of political
turmoil or during election season, the strategy may appear to be used everywhere.

Example:

12. Phatic Function

Definition: The phatic function is the part of communication that holds the communication line itself
open; it is the way by which two or more speakers convince themselves that they are not only
listened to but also understood.

Example: When the lecturer is explaining the materials. Not only give the material but also, they
need to make the students understand. So, after explaining, we often hear the lecturer say “Do you
understand, class?”

13. Negative Politeness

Definition: Negative politeness is concerned with the need to not be intruded or forced on others

Example: in the previous speaking 2, we were assigned to interview some foreigners for speaking 2.
When we do interview, one of my friends asking about the relationship status. Then, the foreigner
suddenly showed us his weird face. He thought that It was not appropriate asking about status. It’s
just like a Noicy Parker for them.

14. Maxim of Quality

Definition: Maxim of quality is where one tries to be honest and does not provide proof that is false
or that is not accepted.

Example: When we had a group discussion, one of my friends was late. He came to SH and said to
us.
A : Am I really late? How’s the assignment?
B : Let me check my screen. Oh, you are just going for a second, welcome deaar!
The truth is my friend was really late, he come 2 hours after the group discussion started. but the we
said that he was just missed a second. It obviously shows that the we violates the maxim of quality
by not being truthful to be sarcastic.

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 15. Adjacency Pairs

Definition: Adjacency Pair is a two-part exchange in which the second utterance functionally relies
on the first as seen in traditional greetings, invitations and requests. It's often referred to as the
principle of nextness. Every pair is spoken by another person.

Example: TMOOD – 6:15

In the morning, Livvy greeted Ray.

Livvy : Good morning!

Ray : Mornin’.

The conversation shows the use of adjacency pairs. They are taking turn to respond each other.

Click here to enter text.

PART II: Analyze the following conversations taken from the movie TMOOD and comment on the
discourse in terms of linguistic variation (dialect, accent, style, registers), social factors related to
language variation (context, gender, age, addressee, degree of formality, social distance, etc.),
politeness, speech functions, Grice’s Cooperative Principles, etc.

Conversation 1 (00:47:05)

Ray: The wind’s turned. Coming out of the north.

Livy: I made friends with two girls from the work crew today. They study butterflies and I was thinking I
could take them for a drive in the mountain some time.
Ray: Japanese?
Livy: Well, they’re American.
Ray: Those Americans who look Japanese.
Livy: You blame them for Pearl Harbour, for Daniel?
Ray: I’m not as stupid as you think. I know they’re not the same people who bombed Pearl Harbour.
They kept our crops going the past couple of years.
Livy: I never said you were stupid.
Ray: I never said I disliked them either. I just said they were Japanese. That’s all.
Livy: And you keep your distance.
Ray: I’ve got a lot to do around here. I got to keep this place going pretty much on my own. I don’t go
into the field to …to socialize.
Livy: Rose and Flory both went to USC. Can’t tell you how good it is to talk something other than crops
and the weather.
Ray: I bet.

Your Analysis:

Linguistic variations:
 1. the style: they use casual style, because they’re a couple. Yet, in truth, they're not yet very close
because they didn't know each other better. That is why there still seems to be a distance
between them.
2. The dialect: The story was taking place in Colorado and Livvy who came from the Denver, it may
have some different local dialects. Still, they both speak the same Language. They may have
different pronunciations but their previous dialect is not easy to identify and not to easily hear.
3. the register: casual registers were used. Their languages are casual but they also seem to have
social distance from each other, making their register not as personal as lovers do.
4. the accent: Both speak with the American accent. Livvy's 'r' that is really plain will easily identify
it. But the "can't" that she said is difficult to be differentiating whether she said "can" or "can't",
because it sounds similar.

Social factors:

1. Attitude: Both, Livvy and Ray display their good attitude by not judging people based on their
races. Livvy wants those two girls to be friends.
2. Context: is a wife who told his husband her story. They talk of two girls from Japanese-American
countries.
3. Gender: it reveals that women deliver their words more expressively than men do.
4. Historical background: The Pearl Harbor disaster led to the American people becoming cruelly
racist towards Japanese citizens at that time. In this disaster, also, Ray's only brother was killed.
People also mark those two girls to be avoided as Japanese, since they really look Asian.

Cooperative Principles:
Ray violates the quantity rule when Livvy asks a very simple question “ You blame them for Pearl
Harbour, for Daniel?” It should be as easy as yes / no question, but by saying "I'm not as dumb as you
think.” Ray answers more than what is required. “I know the men who bombed Pearl Harbor aren't the
same.”
Politeness:
They both develop good politeness, and in their conversation, they can understand each other. Livvy
asked if Ray was activated, as most Americans were mostly negative towards Japanese. But in truth he is
not. He kept the gap because he doesn't get used to socializing.

Conversation 2 (01:06:32)

Ray: It’s near the bottom of the pile. Ain’t caught fire. Livy, this is a working farm. Some don’t have a use
I throw it out. I thought it was trash.

Livy: It’s not trash. It’s history. It’s your history.

Ray: I’d do anyth…I’d do anything to make you happy.

Livy: I know. I know that.

Your Analysis:

Linguistic variations:

1.Dialect: Livvy and Ray's speech and accent are similar to most Americans.

2. Style: Both speak casually. It's revealing that their relationship is getting closer at this moment.

3. Register: They used casual registers more relaxed than the previous scene. The nature of their
interaction no longer really reflects the social gap.

Cooperative Principle:

It shows from the conversation that the full quantity has been met because Livvy's answers to Ray are
right and she also provides enough details as needed.

Social factors:

As husband and wife, they are now getting closer. There are no differences and distinctions about age,
address, and formality. Livvy's attitude towards chiding Ray also reveals that she appears to reveal some
of her possession towards Ray because they are no longer strangers who have just met up.