SOCIAL DIALECT

By, Estu Yogyaningsih

Hairmawan
Winda
 Social Dialects vs. Regional Dialects
1. SOCIAL DIALECTS
• Difference in use of language due to social class discrepancies
• Social Barriers
Distance is not an important factor The distinction is not clear-cut
• Can be easily influenced by external factors

2. REGIONAL DIALECTS
• Different in use of language due to geographical discrepancies
• Geographical Barriers Distance is an important factor The distinction is
clear-cut
• Not easily influenced by external factors
WHAT IS SOCIAL DIALECT ?

a variety of language that reflects social variation in language use, according to certain
factors related to the social group of the speaker such as education, occupation, income
level etc.
• Social dialect is also known as sociolect.
• According to Peter Trudgill,” Sociolect is a variety which is thought of as being related
to its speakers’ social background rather than geographical background.”
FACTORS AFFECTING SOCIAL DIALECT

Social class
Religion
Education
Profession
Caste
Age
Gender
HOW LANGUAGES VARY IN SOCIAL
DIALECT?

Vocabulary
Pronunciation
Grammar
SOCIAL CLASS : VOCABULARY AS A SOCIAL MAKER

In the 1950s in England, many pairs of words were to identify the social group the
speaker belongs to.
The word either placed the speaker in the “Upper-class speakers” or the “non-upper
class speaker”.

Upper Class Speaker Non-Upper class speaker

Sitting Room Lounge
Lavatory Toilet
Sofa Settee
SOCIAL CLASS: GRAMMAR AS A SOCIAL MARKER
• In English speaking communities, it was found that children from lower-
class families used more vernacular verb form than children from middle-
class families.
Examples:

FORM HIGHER CLASS LOWER CLASS

Present Tense He walks to college everyday. He walk to college. everyday.
Past Tense I finished that book yesterday . I finish that book. yesterday.
Negative Forms Nobody wants any chips. Nobody don’t want. no chips.
CASTES AND SOCIAL DIALECT

Social dialects can be seen clearly in Indonesia or India where caste

systems determined by birth.
People’s language reflect their social grouping when they use different
social dialect.
These social distinctions are also reflected in speech and a person’s
social dialect reflects his social background.
EXAMPLES FROM CASTES

In Indonesia, the Javanese language reflects the social status not just in
the choice of linguistic forms but also in the combination of forms which
each social group uses. There are 3 distinct social groups:

1)The dialect of lowest status group(peasants, uneducated town people)

2)The dialect of urbanized people with some education.
3)The dialect of the highly educated people.
CASTE SYSTEM DETERMINED SOCIAL CLASS
speech system is determined by socioeconomic class and social context. In the Tamil
Speaking Caste in India,
Iyengar (Brahmin)--scholarly and higher in the caste hierarchy
Mudaliyar (non-Brahmin)—Lower caste.

word Brahmin non-Brahmin

Drinking Water tirrto tanni
food saado sooru
worship puuje puuse
American English and British English:
Register
Registers are varieties of language used in different, which are identified by the degrees
of formality.
Formal register Informal register
STYLE

Language style is defined as the

choice of words used by a specific
group of people when they speak.
An Example of language style is the
words, jargon and abbreviations
which are used by the doctor.
Language Style
There are four main language styles :