TOPIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROBLEM STATEMENT IDENTIFICATION

NOTE: This assignment should not be more than 3 pages long

TASK 1

1. Subject /Topic/Title

i) Identify the subject area of your research (Morphology, Semantics, Discourse Analysis,
Sociolinguistics etc)

ii) Then, identify the specific focus of your intended study by developing a title / a
focus area (i. e. the actual aspect to be investigated or studied).

iii) Next, identify and analyse the key words in your title. What do the key words seek
to do/study/investigate by way of explanation. In other words, how do the key
words control your study.

2. Key Words

• Key word 1:……………………..

• Key word 2:……………………..

• Key word 3:……………………..

• Etcetera………

3. Problem
Now you are ready to identify the problem to be studied within your focus area: What is
the problem statement, that is: What made you want to do this study? What have you
observed? What has the literature revealed? What are the gaps in research in relation to
what you wish to study? What are some of the issues raised within the area of your focus?
What have you been able to identify as a problem that needs investigation?

PROBLEM STATEMENT

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TASK 1
ANSWER
i) Subject Area: Sociolinguistics

ii) Focus Area: "Language Variation and Social Identity: A Study of

Multilingualism in Urban Communities"

iii) Analysis of Key Words/ explanation:

The Key words includes Language variations Social identity and
multilingualism. Language Variation which refers to the diffences in
language Structure and use that occur among Speakers of a language.
Social identity refers to how individual perceived themselves and how
others perceive them in terms of their social group memberships, Social
Class, Community affiliation etc multlingual urban communities
Includes individuals who uses different languenge in a Particular
Society to express ethnic or cultural identify Therefore, this research
aims to examine how individual language choices and linguistic
practices in a multilingual community are shaped by and in turn shape
their social identities.

2
 Key word 1: Language Variation

This key word indicates the variability in language use, including

phonological, syntactic, and lexical differences, which may be
influenced by social factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and social
class.
 Key word 2: Social Identity

This key word refers to the way individuals or groups define themselves
in relation to societal categories, such as ethnicity, nationality, gender,
or social class, and how these identities are constructed and negotiated
through language use.

 Key word 3: Multilingualism in urban society.

This key word highlights the presence of multiple languages within a

community or individual's linguistic repertoire, indicating the complex
linguistic ecology of urban settings and its implications for social
interactions and identity formation.

 PROBLEMS STATEMENTS:

The problem statement revolves around understanding the intricate

relationship between language variation and social identity within
urban communities characterized by multilingualism. This study aims to
address gaps in research by investigating how language variation serves
as a marker of social identity and how multilingual individuals negotiate
their identities through language use in diverse urban settings. The
literature suggests that while there is ample research on language
variation and social identity, there is a need for more comprehensive
studies that specifically focus on multilingual urban contexts. Issues
such as language hierarchy, language contact phenomena, and the
sociopolitical implications of linguistic diversity within urban
communities remain underexplored. Thus, this study seeks to fill these
gaps by examining the complex interplay between language variation,
social identity, and multilingualism in urban environments.