sociolinguistics......language & style

2. Presented by:
Amna riaz(01)
Baneen sherazi(09)
To:
Ma`m Farah Fatima

3. • Defining language
• Language aspects
• Language structure
• Language components
• Language features

4. Language:
• Very basic and primary tool for communication.
• Language is a primarily human and non-
instinctive method of communicating ideas,
emotions and desires by means of voluntarily
produced symbols. (Sapir)
• Language is a set of infinite number sentences,
each finite in length and constructed out of a finite
set of elements. (Noam Chomsky)
• A language is a system of meaning- a semiotic
system (Michael Halliday)

5. Language aspects:
On a broader scale language can be defined by
considering three aspects:
a) Communicative aspect:
It suggests that that language is a vehicle for the
expression of functional meaning by considering the
semantic and communicative dimensions of
language.

6. Language aspects:
b) Structural aspect:
The structural view of language is that language
is a system of structurally related elements for the
transmission of meaning.
c) Interactional aspect:
It sees language primarily as the means for
establishing and maintaining interpersonal
relationships and for performing social transactions
between individuals.

7. Language structure:
Considering the structure, language is used in two
related but different ways:
a) A specific language: French, Portuguese, Farsi,
Urdu etc.
b) Much broader sense: The general design plan that
is common to all languages. All human languages
are built on the same underlying design plan, but
differ in many details.
Example: if we consider dog analogy.
• Many differences in detail across breeds and
individual dogs.

8. Language structure:
• But the deeper truth is that
they are all built on the same
body plan and have far more
in common than the superficial differences suggest.
• Language works this way as well. All human
languages are built on the same basic design plan.
The broad design features that all languages have
in common run deeper and are far more important
than the differences in details.

9. Language components:
All languages are equal from a linguistic point of
view:
a) They all have sound and sound systems
b) They all have words and word meanings
c) All have grammar

10. Components of langue structure:
• In order to analyze or describe any language we
need these three components to works together
(not independently) to arrive at an adequate
analysis or description.
• Each component have further subdivisions (or
levels) which works as complementary for one
another

11. Language features:
American linguists Charles Hockett gave the
following design features for language:
1) Use of sound signals:
Non-verbal communication is not as widespread
as the use of sounds. Sound signals have
advantages: can be used in the dark, at some
distance, leave the body free for other activities.
2) Arbitrarines
there is no intrinsic relation betweeen concept
and image. For example names are assigned
arbitrarily to objects

12. Language features:
3) The need for learning:
Human language is culturally transmitted. A
human being brought up in isolation doesn’t
acquire language. Also there is innate
predisposition towards language in a new-born
child. This latent potentiality is activated by long
exposure to language.
4) Dualtiy of patterns:
Each phoneme is meaningless in isolation and
become meaningful only when it is combined with
other phonemes. Meaningless: f, g,d,o meaningful:
fog,dog,god .first layer: sounds, second layer: sound
combinations(larger units)

13. Language features:
5) Displacement:
A feature of language that allows users to talk
about things and events other than those
occurring here and now.
6) Creativity (productivity):
Animals have a very limited messages they can send
and receive.Humans can produce novel utterences.
For example a bird utters its
danger cry when danger is
present like baby’ emotional cries
of pain, hunger.

14. Language features:
7) Patterning:
Animal communication system no internal
organization within the system language while
humans do not juxtapose sounds and words in a
random way. Instead bring the changes on a few
well-defined patterns.
For example a person can
utter a sentence which has
never been said before.

15. Language features:
b) Structure dependence:
The grammar is structure-dependent in that the
rules must refer to the structure of the language in
order to adequately perform some function.

16. Defining style
Classification of style
Levels of style
Factors affecting style

17. Style:
• A social identity
• Variation in language
• The choice of words used by a specific group of
people when they speak.
• style is a set of linguistic variants with specific
social meanings. In this context, social meanings
can include group membership, personal
attributes or beliefs.

18. Style:
when analyzing an style, we need to consider:
• point-of-view
• formal or informal way
• organization/structure of language
• level of complexity
• Overall tone

19. Classification of style:
Style can be classified on two bases:
a) On the media of communication
• Spoken
• Written
b) On the basis of register:
• business style
• scientific style
• news style
• advertising style

20. Classification of style:
Style can be of two types:
a) Formal
It is often associated with the conventions expected
of standard English. At its most extreme, formal
language is signaled by complex, complete sentences,
impersonality, avoidance of colloquial or slang
vocabulary, and a consistent preference for learned
words.
Example:
Prior to the discovery of America, potatoes were not
consumed in Europe.

21. Classification of style:
2. Informal:
is characterized by a simpler grammatical structure
i.e. loosely-connected sentences and phrases,
personal evaluation, and a colloquial or slang
vocabulary.
Example:
Before they discovered America, Europeans didn't eat
potatoes.

22. Levels of style:
Martin Joos in his book “The Five Clocks” classified
both spoken and written style into five levels of
formality. They are such as follow:
a) Frozen style
b) Formal style
c) Consultative style
d) Casual style
e) Intimate style

23. Levels of style:
a) Frozen style :
• The most formal style that usually used in
respectful situation or formal ceremony
• It is also called oratorical style which
characterized by the very careful, has fixed
form, and has symbolic or historical nature.
• Example:
certain fixed expressions as:
“Yes your honor”
“Yes my lord”
“I object”

24. Levels of style:
b) Formal style:
• it is used in the formal events, talks about the
serious problem such as in the formal speeches
and official meeting.
• The characteristics are careful and standard
speech, low tempo speech, technical
vocabulary, avoidance of main word repetition
and its use of synonyms.
• Example:
“Those taking part should sit during the
proceedings.”

25. Levels of style:
c) Consultative:
• the most operational among the other styles.
• The sentence tend to be shorter and less well
planned
• Since it is spontaneous, people tend to repeat
some unnecessary words, choose the wrong word
choice or use many slang.
• It is used in some group discussion, regular
conversation at school, companies, trade speech
conversation, etc.

26. Levels of style:
d) Casual:
• Casual style is also simply defined as a style that
is used for the conversation in our relaxed or
normal situation
• casual speech is the omissions of unstressed
words, particularly at the beginning of sentences.
• It is often used in the conversation between
friends or family. It is usually applied in
• daily conversation, in relaxed time such as when
they picnic or sport, etc.

27. Levels of style:
e) Intimate:
• It is a style among intimate members of a family
or friends that do not need a complete language
with clear articulation.
• The example for this style is: “Hey darling, how
are you?”

28. Factors affecting style:
Factors affecting style may be as follows:
a) kind of occasion:
It depends on physical settings around us.
For example in a party with friends
we behave differently as compare to
classroom.

29. Factors affecting style:
b) Social class and education:
Social class and education are important to
determine the language style.
For example lower class and less
educated people tend to simplify the
way of speaking while upper class and
higher educated people tend to use
complicated forms.

30. Factors affecting style:
c) Age and gender:
Age and gender are also important factors that
determine language style.
For example considering the factor of
age elders may speak a bit different
from youngers.
And considering gender females
language style shows nurturance and
concern for others whereas males
have authoritative and impersonal
style.

31. Factors affecting style:
d) Ethnicity:
Different ethnic backgrounds can provoke
differences in language styles.
For example AFRICAN-AMERICANS
have a dialect called Black English
Vernacular. They use double negative
forms such as “I don`t know nothing.”

32. Conclusion:
• So we can say that language is a social tool and
style is a variation in that tool.
• In sociolinguistics:
• Language is a mean for communication in society.
• Style is a social identity for individuals.
“The words you choose to say
something are just as important
as the decision to speak”