SOCIOLINGUISTICS

Maria speaks English with a noticeable accent from the southern United States. Her vocabulary and expressions are also typical of that region. Which concept best describes Maria’s variety of English?

• Idiolect

• Dialect

• Sociolect

• Non-standard

James uses certain slang and informal grammar when talking with his friends from his working-class neighborhood. These features are not typically found in formal writing. Which concept is most relevant to this style of language?

• Prestige

• Idiolect

• Non-standard

• Dialect

Emma uses more formal language when speaking at her university than when she talks to her younger siblings. However, her sentence structure and vocabulary are always slightly unique to her. What best describes Emma’s personal way of using language?

• Idiolect

• Dialect

• Sociolect

• Standard language

In a company meeting, employees tend to use language that shows their educational background and professional roles. Interns speak differently from managers, although they all speak the same regional dialect. What does this difference in language use illustrate?

• Dialect

• Prestige

• Sociolect

• Non-standard

In some countries, speaking with a certain accent or using a particular variety of a language is associated with higher education and respect. What term describes this type of language variety?

• Non-standard

• Sociolect

• Dialect

• Prestige

What is the Linguistic Variable?

• A type of language variation that only affects written texts.

• A feature of language that can be realized in more than one way, depending on social or regional factors.

• A language that is spoken only in one geographic region.

• The formal version of a language used in academic writing.

1. Which of the following is an example of phonological variation?

• Using “biscuit” in the UK and “cookie” in the US

• Saying “bath” as /bɑːθ/ vs. /bæθ/

• “He don’t know nothing” vs. “He doesn’t know anything”

• Writing “Dear Sir” vs. “Hey man”

What type of variation is involved when people use different grammar rules, such as “You was” instead of “You were”?

• Lexical variation

• Discoursal variation

• Phonological variation

• Grammatical variation

Which of the following best illustrates lexical variation?

• Saying “car” with or without the /r/ sound depending on region

• Saying “I don’t have any” vs. “I don’t got none”

• Using “lorry” in the UK and “truck” in the US for the same object

• Writing “Dear Sir/Madam” vs. “Hey John” in emails

Which of the following best defines discoursal variation in sociolinguistics?

• Variation in how speakers structure and manage communication in different social or cultural contexts.

• Differences in pronunciation patterns across regions.

• Use of non-standard grammatical forms in informal speech.

• Lexical choices that differ based on geographic location.