Social Influences on the changes in the English Language

Social Influences on the changes in the English Language

Sociolinguistics: Social Influences on the English Language

Social Class

  • Language diversity can occur due to class stratification and socioeconomic differences.
  • The terminology used, the pronunciation, and the grammatical structures can vary significantly between social classes.
  • The upper class historically adopted Received Pronunciation, which was considered to be the standard form of English, while working class speech may feature different accents and dialects.

Region

  • Language in the UK can change significantly from region to region, with different accent, word usage, and sometimes even distinct grammar.
  • The North/South divide, for example, is clear in the way English is spoken and used.
  • Dialect levelling is leading to certain regional features being lost, attributed to factors such as increased mobility and media influence.

Gender

  • Researchers have documented language differences between genders, with premature claims that women are cooperative and men are competitive in their uses of language.
  • Newer research suggests that the context of communication, more than gender, influences language use.
  • Linguistic diversity, accordingly, can be influenced by social constructs of gender and the related power dynamics.

Age

  • Linguistic diversity can be attributed to generational differences within society.
  • Young people often drive language change and innovation, whether deliberately or subconsciously.
  • They are likely to experiment more with language, introducing new slang, lexical and grammatical changes.

Ethnicity

  • Ethnic minorities often maintain their heritage languages whilst also speaking English, leading to multilingualism and extensive borrowing from other languages into English.
  • This influence is evident in multicultural urban varieties like Multicultural London English, which have linguistic features from a variety of languages.
  • In addition, diaspora communities and their distinct forms of English (e.g., British Asian English, African American Vernacular English) attest to the influence of ethnicity on language diversity.

Occupation

  • Different occupations can require or develop distinct sets of linguistic tools - professional jargons, where specific technical language is used.
  • Examples include medical, legal, or technological professions, each with a unique language style and vocabulary.

Influences from New Media

  • The rise of digital communication is resulting in significant language change.
  • Texting, social media, and other forms of online communication have generated a whole new set of linguistic features, including shorthand, acronyms, and emoticons.
  • The constant evolution and speed of change in these forums can quickly introduce new words and usage.

Group Identity

  • Specific communities may develop their unique language style based on shared interests or identities. This could be youth subcultures, online communities or hobbyist groups.
  • These group identities may be geographically spread but feature shared language use. Shared neologisms, specific jargons, and unique turns of phrase all contribute to this language diversification.
  • This can extend to newer identities such as LGBTQ+ communities driving language change and inclusivity with pronouns and gender-neutral language.

Influence of Attitudes

  • Public opinion, attitudes, or policies towards language can also drive its change.
  • For example, linguistic prescriptivism (rules about ‘correct’ language use) can slow change, while descriptivism (language recording as it is actually used) can reflect diversity and change.
  • More recently, a shift towards language inclusivity and political correctness is reshaping the English language to be more representative and respectful of diversity.

Remember, linguistic diversity is not the result of separate social factors but their complex interplay. Contexts where multiple social factors intersect often result in significant language changes.