My Diary: Language Variation

LANGUAGE VARIATION

A.    Defenition

     Language variation is a core conception sociolinguistics. Variation is a characteristic of language; there is more than one way of saying the same thing. Speaker may vary pronuciation (accent), word choice (lexicon), or morphology and syntax (sometimes called “grammar”).

B.     Regional Variation

     According (wisniewski 2007) regional variation of languages is also subject to linguistic investigations. General descriptions of languages focusing on pronunciation, or grammar usually provide information about the standard variety of a given language, nonetheless, that does not mean that is is in any respect better than its other varieties.The study of regional variation in English is sometimes known as dialectonology.

C.    Linguistic Variable

     Examples from african amrican english, the systematic, rule – governed variety of English used predominantly by African Americans :

·         Phonetics : The vowelss in “trap” and ‘bath” have not undergone merger; there is a difference between ant and aunt

·         Phonology:  Word – initial unstressed syllables can undergo deletion: bout instead of about

·         Morphology : “be” is used as a free morpheme to express habitual, repeated action : my lip gloss be pppin.

·         Syntax: under certain rule- governed circumstances, the copula can be deleted : that dog cute.

·         Semantics : negative inversion for semantic intensification: don't nobody like raw kale

·         Pragmatics : the use of signifying as a linguistic act.

D.    Teaching Sociolinguistic Variation

     Standard variety is an equality  approprite designation. It has the following prototypical properties:

·         It is the variety of used by educated users, e.g. those in the professions, the media, and so on.

·         It is the variety defined in dictionaries, grammars and usage guides

·         It is regarded as more correct and socially acceptable than other varieties.

·         It enjoys greater prestige than dialects and non – standard varieties : non – varieties are felt to be the province of the less educated.

·         It is used as a written language

·         It is used in important functions in the society – in the goverment, the parliament, courts, bureaucracy, education, literature trade and industry.