Name : Nabila Firda Asy’ari
NIM : 1588203038
SOCIOLINGUISTICS MID-TERM
1. What is sociolinguistics ?
First, let me tell you that sociolinguistics is one of branches in linguistics study. Actually, linguistics has two branches. They are pure linguistics and apllied linguistics. Sociolinguistics included into applied linguistics branch. Sociolinguistics is the study of the relation between language and society. In sociolinguistics we will learn how does language is used in society. How does language take a role in human life when it is used as media to deliver/express human feeling. Because we have various culture in this world, language used in each country even each region could be different one another. In sociolinguistics, we will explore the use of language in society/community which is different in each region.
2. Why do we learn sociolinguistics ?
By learning sociolinguistics, we will know more about language that used in a society, a community, a region, etc. Also, we will get new knowledge about language and society that used it in daily activity in a society. Then, we can know how does language influenced by society. Next, we will be able to adjust ourself if we come to other place that have different language and culture with us. Not only that, by learning sociolinguistics for the teacher candidates, we can be a bridge for our students which have different culture one another. We can differentiate which language that we should use in certain condition by looking our interlocutor’s age, status, culture, etc. By doing so, in our society there will be no misunderstanding when having conversation.
3. What is the relation between language and society ?
Language is media or tool used to communicate what we feel to other people. Language used by everyone in this world and we, of course, have different society, community, and region. Because of that, every society, every community, and every people lived in a region will have different language as their identity. Here, a society influence a language like its grammar, its pronunciation, even its vocabullary in order to distinguish each society’s language. As I said before, the different of language in each society becomes an identity of a society. So people will be able to distinguish each society or community easily.
4. Please mention and explain the branches of linguistics !
Linguistics is a study exploring all about language. There are 2 branches in linguistics, they are pure linguistics and applied linguistics. Pure linguistics discussing about the way language produced. In pure linguistics there are many branches, they are :
a. Phonology, explaining how the way sound produced in our mouth/articulatory organs. Here, we only focus on the way sound are produced.
b. Morphology, explaining how does a word can be produced. We will know there are bound morphem which can not stand alone and need affixation, and free morphem which can stand alone and have meaning.
c. Syntax, explaining how does a word can make a sentence.
d. Lexicology, explaining a lexical which has meaning in a dictionary.
e. Semantics, explaining a hidden meaning in an expression.
Next, there is applied linguistics discussing about the use of language in several field. Here are some branches of applied linguistics :
a. Pragmatics, discussing the relation between language and condition and situation.
b. Sociolinguistics, discussing the relation between language and society.
c. Psycholinguistics, discussing the relation between language and human mind.
5. What is standard language ? Give an example !
A standard language is a variety of language that is used in formal situation in society, for example in schools, government, and for international communication. For example of standard language, language that used in school textbook.
6. Elaborating the language, dialect, and accent, please !
Language is media that we used to communicate one another. Language has structure that makes it has meaning. Dialect is variation of language in a region which has different grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary each region. Accent is language variation which has different only on how the way we pronunce a word. A region can has same dialect but different accent because in a region there are many communities speak in different accent as their identity.
7. Give an example of formal language and informal language !
Formal Language : Good morning ladies and gentlemen !
Informal Language : Hi guys !
8. What aspects of language are sociolinguistics interested in ?
Sociolinguistics is interested on discussing the way people speak in different language in different social context. Then, sociolinguistics focuses on some factors like the use of language depend on people’s age, status, gender, religion, occupation, ethnicity, education background, etc. Also, it is concerned on identifying the function of language in social meanings.
9. When two or more people from different language met and tried to communicate, what should they do ?
First, they will use lingua franca as connecting language. We use lingua franca if we meet someone speaking in different language with us and we do not understand their language. Then, language that we use to communicate with them called as pidgin. Pidgin is a simple language that has simple structure, grammar, and word and has no native speaker. After some process, that language becomes a new language that used by them and their community. It called as creole. So, when we met a people with different language with us and want to communicate with them, the first language that we used is lingua franca.
10. Why do people switch and mix a language ?
There are some factors that make people switch and mix language, they are :
a. To show their identity. People will switch and mix their language to show they are different form other communities. For instance, minangnese community using lexical “do” at the end of sentence/expression. People from other ethnic will recognize that they are minangnese.
b. To make our interlocutor understand what we talk about. If we have a conversation with people from other region/country and we there we are with our friend who has same language with us, to make one of them understand what we mean/talk about, we can switch and also mix our language. We can use a word that both of the speakers understand because one of speaker will not understand if we use word in our language only.
c. To show our prestige in front of our interlocutor. Nowadays, the use of mix language while speaking make someone feels has high status and prestige than people who do not mix their language.
11. Give an example of code switching and code mixing !
a. Code Switching
Vernon : Guys, let’s go to the canteen ! I am hungry.
Joshua : Okay, let’s go. I am hungry too. I am gonna eat fried
noodle today.
Vernon : Bu, mi gorengnya satu, sotonya satu ya.
Bu Kantin : Iya, nanti dianter. Duduk aja dulu disitu.
b. Code Mixing
Kak Lin watch out !!! Ada jurang tuh di depan !! Be careful lah kak !