SLANGIntroduction 2

Roland MuhlenberndSeminar fur Sprachwissenschaft

University of Tubingen

Overview

Sociolinguistic PhenomenaSession I: DataSession II: Analysis

Sociolinguistic Forces

Simulation on Social NetworksNaming GameSocial Impact TheoryThe Coevolution Model

Game Theory & LinguisticsEvolutionary Game TheoryRational Communication

Network Games: Simulating Linguistic Phenomena

Homework

Sociolinguistic Phenomena I: Language VariationWhen Languages Die, Chapter 7: Worlds within Words (Harrison, 2007)

”Linguists who do field work on languages find it hard toignore the rich cultural matrix or to examine things likesentence structure in isolation from the rest of thelanguage.”

”A process of emerging complexity - not yet wellunderstood - gives a language its constantly changingand characteristic shape.”

”...many of the kinds of structures Chomsky and hisfollowers have been interested in are to be found only insmall, obscure, and endangered languages.”

Sociolinguistic Phenomena I: Language VariationWhen Languages Die, Chapter 7: Worlds within Words (Harrison, 2007)

Phenomena in small or endangered languages:

I suffix for ”smells like”

I sound talk (imitating natural sounds with innovative energy)

I doubling

I ”give”-word depends on object properties

I object-depending count words

I categorization, classification

I relationships (e.g. different kinship terms)

I case system

I gender-dependent dialects

I speech register encoding

Sociolinguistic Phenomena I: Language ChangeNatural Misunderstanding (Labov, 2007)

Is linguistic change in progress a major contributor tomisunderstanding?

Sociolinguistic Phenomena I: Politeness & PowerLanguage and power: an empirical analysis... (Morand, 2000)

Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987):

I face-threating acts (FTA)

I negative and positive politeness

Politeness & Power Hypothesis:

1. Speakers low in power relative to their addressee will employhigher levels of politeness

2. The specific tactics of politeness will be significant predictorsof the overall degree of politeness of a speech act

3. The tactics of negative politeness will prove to be strongerpredictors of the overall politeness, in comparison to thepositive tactics

Sociolinguistic Phenomena II: Transmission & DiffusionTransmission & Diffusion (Labov, 2007)

I the unbroken sequence ofnative-language acquisitionby children is termedlinguistic transmission

I linguistic descent ispreserved imperfectly:language change frombelow

I parallel branches convergethrough independentlymotivated changes

I transfer across branches ofthe family tree is termedlinguistic diffusion

Sociolinguistic Phenomena II: Transmission & DiffusionTransmission & Diffusion (Labov, 2007)

Two studies of Transmission and Diffusion:

1. the diffusion of the grammatically conditioned short-a split ofNYC

2. the diffusion of the northern cities shift

General results:

1. the result of language contact will be slower, less regular, andless governed than internal changes

2. structural borrowing is rare: adults as borrowing agents do notfaithfully reproduce structural patterns in the system they areborrowing from

Sociolinguistic Phenomena II: Language VariationUnendangered Dialects, Endangered People (Labov, 2006)

Phenomena in African American Vernacular English (AAVE)

Sociolinguistic Phenomena II: Language VariationUnendangered Dialects, Endangered People (Labov, 2006)

Sociolinguistic Phenomena II: Register, Social MobilityThe Effect of Social Mobility on Linguistic Behavior (Labov, 1964)

I register: social status (education & income)linguistic variable (〈r〉, 〈D〉, 〈E〉, 〈O〉)

I social mobility

Sociolinguistic Forces for Language ChangeDriving Forces (Labov, 2009)

What are the forces that drive the continuing process of languagechange?

I maximization of dispersion within a subsystem

I the principle of least effort (e.g. reduce phonetic information)

I the tendency to generalize (e.g. rule simplification)

”The only variable we can turn to account for linguisticchange is social change, of which linguistic variations areonly consequences...” (Meillet, 1921)

Sociolinguistic Forces for Language ChangeDriving Forces (Labov, 2009)

Driving Forces

I location and structure ofsocial networks

I socioeconomic classes

I the ”ratchet principle”

I gender

I upward mobility

Sociolinguistic Forces for Language ChangeLinguistig change, social network and speaker innovation (Milroy & Milroy, 1985)

Speaker innovation is classified in terms of success in diffusion:

1. speaker innovation may fail beyond the speaker

2. speaker innovation may diffuse into her close community (andnot further)

3. (2.) and into other communities via further innovators withweak ties between different communities (linguistic change)

Major points:

I persons for whom the linguistic variant has less significance asa network marker seem to be leading the linguistic change

I a strong closeknit network function as a conservative force,resiting pressures to change

I linguistic change seems always to originate from some point inthis central area of the social hierarchy (Labov, 1980)

Sociolinguistic Forces for Language ChangeLinguistig change, social network and speaker innovation (Milroy & Milroy, 1985)

Weak and strong ties:

1. ”the strength of a tie is a (probably linear) combination of theamount of time, the emotional intensity, the intimacy (mutualconfiding) and the reciprocal services which characterize a tie”(Granovetter, 1973)

2. M & M’s more general principle: ”links between closeknitgroups are normally weak ties between the individuals whohave contracted them”

Sociolinguistic Forces for Language VariationVernacular language loyalty and social network (Milroy & Margrain, 1980)

What explains Linguistic Variation?I correlation of linguistic scores with external social factors?I neither practicable nor reasonable!I structure of each individual’s relationship with others

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Structure properties:I network densityI multiplexityI density in clusters (clustering)I degree of connectionsI centrality of positionI intensity

In this study:I multiplexity and density requires a quantitative statement of

the size of a total personal network, which can not be providedI here: multiplexity and density will be expressed indirectly by

the Network Strength Scale (NSS)

Sociolinguistic Forces for Language VariationVernacular language loyalty and social network (Milroy & Margrain, 1980)

The Network Strength Scale (score 0-5)I member of a dense, territorially based cluster (density)I substantial ties of kinship in neighborhood (multiplexity)I work mares from same area (multiplexity)I work mates with same sex from same area (multiplexity)I voluntary associations with work mates (multiplexity)

Linguistic variablesI phonetic realization, e.g. [a] or [O], deletion of [D]

Statistical techniques:I correlation: Spearman Rank Order Correlation = similarity of

rank orders of scoresI value or significance: t testI analysis of variance: significance of differences in subgroups or

e.g. low and high NSS scorers; incorporates a test for thehomogeneity of groups with respect to a particular variable(sex, age...)

Sociolinguistic Forces: Language VariationLang. Variation on Internet Relay Chat: A social network approach (Paolillo, 2001)

Analyzing linguistic variation in chat communication:

I the strength of a tie can be defined by frequency ofinteraction among participants

I participants are separated into groups by factoring in similarpatterns of interaction

I linguistic variables are ’u’, ’r’ (shortcuts), ’-z’ (modification),code-switching (to Hindi) and obscenity

Sociolinguistic Forces: for Language VariationLang. Variation on Internet Relay Chat: A social network approach (Paolillo, 2001)

Homework

I You constructively assist in this course by choosing your topicand pass on your knowledge!!

I Understanding is one thing, explaining/teaching another!!

I You should feel absolutely comfortable with your topic!!I → Homework until May 8th:

I Read your abstract and write a short review (1 page) to showme that you understand the content/message/idea/model(send it per eMail)

I If you get lost in the article or have a hard time getting theidea, please let me know as soon as possible so we can figureout a solution!!