SOCIOLINGUISTIC

LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITIES

By Iwan, S.Pd
  THE TERM OF DEFINITION OF
SOCIOLINGUISTIC
SOCIOLINGUISTIC
The study of the relationship between
A term sociolinguistics is a language and the context in which it is used.
derivational word. Two words that It also study the relationship between
language and society. It explains we people
form it are sociology and
speak differently in different social contexts.
linguistics. Sociology refers to a It discusses the social functions of language
science of society; and linguistics and the ways it is used to convey social

refers to a science of language. A meaning. All of the topics provides a lot of

information about the language works, as
study of language from the
well as about the social relationships in a
perspective of society may be community, and the way people signal
thought as linguistics plus aspects of their social identity through their
language (Holmes, 2001)
sociology.
THE DEFINITION LANGUAGE
A system of (verbal) signs embedded in
social and cultural reality of language
users. CULTURE : integrated human
knowledge, belief and behaviour, which
depends on the capacity of symbolic
thought and social learning (pan-human
or shared by different groups).
 STANDARD AND NON-STANDARD LANGUAGE

Standar language is a variety of language that is used by

governments, in the media, in schools and for international
communication. For example: Indonesian in Indonesia.
There are different standard varieties of English in the world, such as
North American English, Australian Engliah and Indian English.
Although these standar varieties differ in the terms of pronunciation,
there are a few differences in grammar between them. In contrast, there
are non-standard forms of language that are used, for example, in
different regional dialects and these non-standard varieties are different
from each other.
  LANGUAGE
VARIATION:
FOCUS ON USERS
1. Idiolect
 Idiolect is the language variation that is
individual in nature. It has his own
language variation or his own idiolect.
This idiolect variation is concerning with
the colours of voice, choice of words,
language style, sentence order, etc.
The colours of voice is the most
dominant aspect in language variation,
because we can recognize someone
just by listening to voice without seeing
the person.
 2. Dialect
 Dialect is comes from a group of users in
one particular place, region or area. It is
usually called regional dialect or
geography dialect. The users of a dialect
have certain features that mark them as
people who have the same dialect
although they have their own idiolect. The
study of dialects is called dialectology.
 Example: People who use Javanese with
dialect of Solo have their own particular
features that are different from others
who have the dialect of Surabaya or
Banyumas.
 3. Sociolect (Social dialect)
Holmes (2001:134) states that social dialects are the language
that reflects the groupings of people that based on similar social and
economic factors. He adds that a person’s dialect reflects his social
background. It also based on age, social strata etc.
For example: social dialects in Java and the ways used by
Javanese speakers. Every time a Javanese person talks to a different
person, he has to choose the right words and pronunciations because
almost every word is different and they fit together in patterns or
levels.
JAVANESE (Ngoko – krama – krama alus/inggil)
omah – griya – dalem

(Age/ social strata) Younger – older / lower – higher strata

(krama alus/inggil)): Ask for someone’s house

“Nuwun sewu, kulo badhe nyuwun pirsa, dalemipun Pak Joko puniko,
pundi nggeh?
 KIND OF SOCIOLECT
 1. Acrolect. It is more formal and prestigious from
a speech. It actually refers to the language of the
power politicians. For example: Javanese (krama
inggil)
 2. Mesolect. It is intermediate variety. We say the
variety spoken by private sector in a respective
country. For example: Javabese (krama alus)
 3. Bacilect. It refers to most colloquial and least
prestigous form of speech. It is spoken by ordinary
people. For example: Javanese (ngoko alus)
 4. Vulgar. It contains features that are used by
people that are less educated or even uneducated.
For exp: Languages in Romans age up to the
Middle age.
 5. Slang. It is consists of very informal words and
phrases. It is more common speech than in
writing, and often used in particular group of
people. For example: O Gee, bullshit, hangout etc.
 6. Colloquial. It is used in daily conversation, it
means the language used in speaking and not in
writing. For exp: don’t for the words do not, I’m for
I am
 7. Jargon. It is used by a certain group of people
which usually concerns with a certain field of
occupation or particular profession. For example:
The director wants to stop an cat of an actor, he
will say Cut!
 8. Argot. It is limited to certain proffession only
and secretly in nature by using special vocabulary.
For exp: in the crime world of thieves and pick-
pocketers uses word “Kaca Mata” --- polisi
 9. Cant. It means the certain social variation that is
used to show poverty that is usually used by
beggars (to beg), just like the expression the cant
of beggars which means the language of beggars.
4. Temporal dialect (Cronolect)
It means the language variation that is used by a certain social group
in particular time. For example, in the development of English. English
had began from the Old English in the year of 600 to 1100, the Middle
English in the year of 1100 to 1450, the Early Modern English in the
year of 1450 to 1700 until the Modern English in the year of 1700 up
to now.
The other example: Ancient Indonesian – modern indonesian / ancient
Javanese – modern Javanese
 LANGUAGE VARIATION: FOCUS ON USES
1. Style
Holmes (2001:223) states that style is related more with the
situations than with the speakers themselves. When we want to talk
about style, it means that we talk about the same speakers who talk
in different ways on different situations.It refers to language
variation which reflects changes in situational factors.
 KIND OF STYLE:
1. Frozen style. It is the most formal style used in formal situations and
ceremonies. Exp: In written form (historical documents, and formal
documents).
2. Formal style. It is used in formal speech, formal meeting, office
correspendence, lesson books for school, etc.
3. Consultative style. It ordinary conversation held at school, in meeting or
conversation that leads to result and production. It is the most operational
one between casual and fromal.
4. Casual style. It is used to speak with friends, family or relatives, during
the leisure time, while break or recreation, etc.
5. Intimate style. It used with people who have close relationships with the
speaker. By using this style those people do not need to use complete
sentences with clear articulation, they just simply use short words.
2. Register
Holmes (2001:246) states that it refers to the language of groups of
people with common interests or jobs, or specific situations. The
different registers can be seen in the language used by legalist,
auctioneers, race-callers, sports commentator, airline pilots, criminals,
financiers, politicians, disc jockeys, in the courtroom and the classroom,
journalist.
Language of journalism (journalistic) has specific characteristics, it is
simple, communicative and brief. The language is simple because it has
to be understood easily, communicative because it has to deliver news
appropriately, and brief because of the limited space (in printed media)
and limited time (in electronic media).
OTHER LANGUAGE VARIATION

 Accent  Bilingualism and multilingualism

Accent is the way of pronunciation The use of language in a situation of

bilingualism and/or multilingualism often
particular to a speaker of group. All
involves the problems of who speaks,
languages are spoken with several
what language, to whom and when.
different accents. There is nothing
Bilingualism is an individual’s ability to
unusual about English, and not
use two language variety. Individual
everyone who comes from the same bilingualism use of more that one
place speaks in the same. In any languages or competence in more that
place there is a variety of accent. For one languages.
example: Britis (United Kingdom) and While multilingualism is an individual’s

American (United States) ability to use many languages


 Lingua Franca
Lingua franca is language of wider
community, is used as a means of
communication among the
speakers of other languages. It is
called bridge language, or vehicular
language in certain place with many
different speaker and language.
For example: Malay or Indonesian
in Asia (Asia tenggara), or English
as international language in the
world
 Pidgin and Creole
Pidgin is basically contact language.
They envolve between in different culture
who speak different languages and need
some way of communicating with each
other to carry out trade or work. The
vocabularies are mix structure as the
consequence of mixing two culture. Exp:
trader in Bali communicate with the
tourist
Creole is pidgin which has run long time
so that the structure and the vovabularies
become better and better. It also used by
new generation
•Code Switching and Code Mixing
•Code- Switching is switching the situation from one code to another. If
a speaker firstly uses code A (for example Indonesian Language) then
she/he changes the code to code B (Toraja Language). For example:
Kamu sudah pulang? Menna Musolan?

•Code Mixing is used when the speaker mix two language or use both
language together to in single utterance. For example:
1. Saya tidak bisa berfikir, otakku blank (Indonesian – English).
2. Kuliah kok sambil chatting (Indonesian – English)
 COMMUNITIES
 A speech community:
Definition: a group of people who
 A community: share similar ideas,
a
uses, and norms of
group of people with language.
a shared set of Language variety:
refers to a set of
activities, practices, communicative forms
beliefs, and social and norms for their use
that are restricted to a
structures. particular group,
community or activities
Social network

 Another way of describing a particular speech

community in terms of relations among its
individual members.

 Tight community: all members of one group

interacting with each other.

 Looser community: little interaction among

the members of a group
 Five Key Elements for the Speech Community

 Foundational  Improving
condition condition
 -Population  -Facility
 -Area  -Identification
 -Interaction
What aspects may cause you to belong
in a speech community & not in
another?
 “Sociolinguistic variables”

 Age
 Social Class
 Education
 Occupation/Hobbies
 Region/Space
 Family
 Religion
 Gender
 Ethnicity/Race
Intersecting Communities
 People do use expressions indicates that
they have some idea of how a
 „typical‟ person from each place speaks

-> to be a member of a particular

speech community somewhat loosely
defined.
 E.g.: New York speech, London

speech, South African speech

Network Relationships
 open network: provides open access to its
users. Information is often new and of
importance, a (serious) blogger and visitors
of blog.
 closed network: mostly strong ties.
 Information that flows in those networks

tends to be redundant and inefficient.

Sources:
https://
www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-trans
cripts-and-maps/languages-and-speech-communities

https://
www.slideshare.net/wildanalqudsy/speech-communities-28430227?fro
m_action=save

https://ahlanfirdaus.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/146/

http://
vienasa.blogspot.com/2014/11/sociolinguistics-speech-community.ht
ml