EXERCISES OF UNIT 2

1. What is ‘language variety’?

Besides the official language in each group, people in different places or even in one location
may use varieties that contain many different accents, registers, etc. Varieties that are kinds of linguistic
bias appropriate for societies are classified into the sign, the written and the spoken that are applied in
various ways.

2. What is the difference between spoken and written varieties of language?

There are many differences that can be noted between written and spoken language. Sometimes
speaking in a way that things would normally be written, or writing in a way that people speak can lead to
language sounding strange, unnatural or inappropriate.
When speaking people tend to include contractions such as I’ll or don’t that tend not to be
appropriate in formal written language. There are also many slang words that are popped into spoken
language, that depending on the context are not strictly correct in written language. There are other
language conventions that are constantly broken in spoken language, which are more strictly adhered to in
written language.

3. What are the various categorizations of language varieties?

The various categorisations of language varieties are common colloquial words, professional and
social jargon, vulgarisms, and dialectal words.

4. What is the point of varieties in sociolinguistics?

Linguists investigate varieties in language according to certain parameters. It is the point that
linguists study the factors affecting the varieties in language. Many varieties disappear in the process of
development, but many ones develop and may become standard when they have been used and evolved.

5. Is it true to say that ‘varieties result from social situations’?

Yes, it is. Sociolinguists should investigate and determine language varieties according to societal
requirements.
Varieties frequently contain various ways of classifying choice of words or forms according to
the immediate social requirement.

6. What are the examples of English pidgin in Vietnamese?

Many words in Vietnamese come from English, but they are pronounced like Vietnamese
ones such as cao bồi, ti vi, tuổi tin, đô la, tiền tip, etc

7. What are the examples of French pidgin in Vietnamese?

Many words in Vietnamese come from French, but they are pronounced like Vietnamese ones
such as mét, kí lô, cà phê, xe tăng, ca ra, etc.

8. Give an example of spoken and written text in Vietnamese?

Spoken text: Sao chú mày sinh sống cẩu thả quá như thế! Nhà cửa đâu mà tuềnh toàng. Ngộ có kẻ
nào đến phá thì thật chú chết ngay đuôi! Này thử xem: khi chú chui vào tổ lưng chú phải lồm cồm đụng
sát lên tận mặt đất, làm cho ai trên về cỏ nhìn sang cũng biết chú đương đi đứng chỗ nào trong tổ.
(Source: Dế mèn phiêu lưu ký – Tô Hoài)
Written text: Ngẫm ra thì tôi chỉ nói lấy sướng miệng thôi. Còn Dế Choắt than thở thế nào, tôi
cũng không để tai. Hồi ấy tôi có tính tự đắc, cứ miệng mình nói tai mình nghe chứ không biết nghe ai,
thậm chí cũng chẳng để ý có ai nghe mình không. (Source: Dế mèn phiêu lưu ký – Tô Hoài)
In written text, the text function is vocative. In the spoken one, the text function is expressive.