Читать книгу An Introduction to Sociolinguistics - Ronald Wardhaugh, Janet M. Fuller - Страница 62

1 Read the article from The Independent titled ‘God save the Queen’s English: Our language is under threat from ignorance, inverted snobbery, and deliberate “dumbing down”.’ (You can find this in the links listed for this chapter on the website for this textbook.) Find evidence of the following aspects of the ‘standard language myth’ referred to in this chapter, notably:the standard as natural, as evidenced by its widespread use;the link between the standard and the heritage and identity of its users;the standard as linguistically superior;the standard as a clearly defined variety with recognizable features.

2 Find an internet meme and discuss it in terms of indexicality and entextualization. Define these terms and how they apply to the meme. What meaning is intended to be derived from the meme, or is it ambiguous? How is meaning derived by the viewer? What is the larger context of the use of the meme and how does this influence its interpretation?

3 Representing dialect. Find a novel that portrays AAVE speakers, such as the more recently published The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas or classics such as The Color Purple (Alice Walker) or Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston). What linguistic features are used in the dialogues to represent Black speakers? (Name at least four.) How are they similar to or different from the features discussed in this chapter? (Keep in mind that we have in no way presented a comprehensive list of features of AAVE; you may need to consult other research on AAVE if you want to draw conclusions about whether this fits with linguists’ descriptions of the dialect.) Name and describe the features and give examples from the novel you are using. Do you think this writing represents authentic speech? What do you know about the author that contributes to your position on this?