Sociolinguistics Glossary

The way a speaker pronounces a language, influenced by region, social class, or native language background.

The ability to use two languages with some degree of proficiency. Can be individual (personal bilingualism) or societal (community-wide bilingualism).

Alternating between two or more languages, dialects, or registers within a single conversation or utterance.

Knowledge of both the grammatical rules and the social rules for appropriate language use in context.

A stable natural language that develops from a pidgin and becomes the native language of a community.

A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

A sociolinguistic situation in which two varieties of a language coexist, each serving distinct social functions.

The study of language in use beyond the sentence level, examining how meaning is constructed through conversation, text, and social interaction.

A research approach developed by Dell Hymes that studies language use within its full social and cultural context.

The unique linguistic variety of an individual speaker, reflecting personal history and social affiliations.

A geographic boundary line on a dialect map separating areas that differ in a particular linguistic feature.

The beliefs and evaluations people hold about different languages, dialects, and accents.

The process by which a language loses all its native speakers and ceases to be used as a means of communication.

Culturally shaped beliefs about language that reflect and serve broader social and political interests.

Deliberate efforts to influence the function, structure, or acquisition of a language or language variety within a community.

The gradual abandonment of a heritage language by a community in favor of a more dominant language.

A bridge language used for communication between groups who do not share a native language.

Unfair treatment of individuals based on their language variety, accent, or dialect.

The social value assigned to particular language varieties, encompassing both overt (standard) and covert (non-standard) forms.

A linguistic feature that varies across speakers or contexts and correlates with social factors.

The use of three or more languages by an individual or community.

A simplified contact language with no native speakers, developed for communication between groups with different native languages.

A variety of language used in a particular social situation, varying by formality, field, and mode.

A language variety associated with a particular social group defined by class, occupation, age, or subculture.

A group of people who share norms and expectations regarding language use.