Diversity Within English
In order to understand how language variation descriptors are used,
we first must understand what language variation is. We can say that the
U.S. is linguistically diverse because of the multitude of languages spoken
here, but we can also find diversity within these languages. All
languages have both dialectical variations and registral variations.
These variations, or dialects, can differ in lexicon, phonology, and/or
syntax from the Standard Language that we often think of as Ścorrect'
Language, although they are not necessarily less proper than, say,
Standard English. It depends on where, by whom, and in what situation the
dialect is used as to whether or not it is appropriate.
...
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a
person is from just by knowing whether a person carries groceries home
from the supermarket in a paper bag or from the grocery store in a paper
sack (Yule 184). And the person who comes home from the supermarket with
a paper sack serves to remind us that language variation is not a discrete,
but rather a continuous variable. Characteristics of the dialect are more
pronounced in the center of the speech community and tend to be less
discernible at the outer boundaries, where they often overlap other
regional dialects.
Within, and between, these regional variations we find the social
dialects. The primary social factors that influence dialects are class,
education, occupation, ethnicity, sex, and age (Ferguson 52, Yule 191).
And social dialects can vary on any or all three descriptor levels; syntax
or grammar, lexicon or vocabulary, and phonetics or pronunciation. Social
dialects are also where the described differences are often defined as
stigmatized or nonstigmatized ...
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Closely related to these social class factors are education and
occupation. While occupations often produce their own jargons, a person's
occupation will also determine what style of speech is used. A lawyer and
a laborer would not be likely to use the same dialect on the job.
Likewise, a person with little education is not likely to use the same
style of speech as a college professor. This does not imply that the
lawyer and college professor speak a Śbetter' variety of English, but
because of more exposure to, and familiarity with written English, which is
usually Standard English, they tend to speak that way, also. And because
many people think of Standard English as the norm, ...
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"Diversity Within English." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 3 Feb. 2006. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Diversity-Within-English/40638>
"Diversity Within English." Essayworld.com. February 3, 2006. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Diversity-Within-English/40638.
"Diversity Within English." Essayworld.com. February 3, 2006. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Diversity-Within-English/40638.
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