Language Use and Age

 Identity and language variation

 Language variation allows us as speakers to locate ourselves in a multi-dimensional society
 As hearers, language variation allows us to locate others in that society
 Age is one of the dimensions on which we construct identities for ourselves and others

Age-grading

 Adolescents will generally use more non-standard varieties than younger adults (= non-
prestige varieties, often specific ‘anti-prestige’). From adolescence to adulthood the use of
non-standard forms of speech will gradually decrease in favour of more standard forms of
speech (prestige varieties) until a particular stage in late adulthood.

 The frequency of using standard forms of speech will again decrease within older adults and
more non-standard forms (non-prestige varieties) will be used.

The age pattern shows regularity: The pattern is repeated with each new generation of speakers.

Speech and age grading

Child directed speech

 Higher pitch
 Slower speed
 Exaggerated pronounciation
 Shorter, gramaticcaly simple sentence
 More repetition
 Baby talk words

Teenagers

 Linguistic change
 More slang
 Construction of style and identity

Elder

 Speaking louder and more slowly

 Using limited vocabulary
 Using terms like “honey” or “dear”