Accent Dialect and Slang

Sociolect, Idiolect and dialect

Sociolect: varieties of language used by particular social groups.

The sociolects of different groups help to give them their own identity.

We can distinguish the language people use depending on different social factors:

Socio-economic status: middle and upper class people tend to use more standard forms than lower class people. The language of lower class people is more likely
to contain features of regional dialect.

Education: well educated people are more likely to use standard english and RP than less well-educated people.

Age: sociolects used by teenagers tend to include more non-standard forms and slang than language used by adults. They also include more influences from, and
references to popular culture.

Belief system and culture: Religious groups use lots of specialist vocabulary.
The way you speak can depend on the situation
Language that's appropriate in one social group might not be appropriate in another. People adapt the way they speak depending on
the situation they’re in and how they want to present themselves. We can link this to Gile’s accommodation theory.

Politicians tend to use standard english when they’re making a political speech (formal situation) however, when talking to other
individuals on the street they might use non-standard language and features of regional dialect.

People tend to change the way they speak depending on the people. For example, lots of people find that the way they speak to their
friends is different from how they speak to their parents. They might use more slang with their friends or speak in the same regional
dialect as their parents when they’re at home.

Some people have a telephone voice - a different voice that they use on the phone. Usually it involves using more standard forms and
an accent that’s closer to RP.
Idiolect and slang:
Idiolect: the unique language of an individual.

Your idiolect is the result of a unique combination of influences.

Slang: informal vocabulary. They tend to be used in casual speech.

People tend to use slang to identify that they are part of a particular social group - it’s part of their sociolect.

Slang can act as a code to exclude outsiders. It can be exclusive and secretive. (e.g: groups of teenagers might use
slang to establish a sense of identity which is separate from the adult world)
Slang:

- Slang is specific to social and regional groups.

- Slang varies depending on which region speakers are from.
- Slang reflects multiculturalism.
- The media also influences slang and gives people access to different subcultures.
Accent and
dialect Accents can be affected by the
speaker’s regional or social
background.
An accent can be a feature of a
dialect.