Introduction to Language and SocietyAugust 25

Areas in Linguistics

• Phonetics (sound)• Phonology (sound in mind)• Syntax (sentence structure)• Morphology (word structure)• Semantics (meaning)• Pragmatics (usage)• Sociolinguistics (usage specific to a social context)• Psycholinguistics (psychological processes)• Neurolinguistics (neurological processes)• Computational linguistics (statistical modeling)

Language Variation

• Each group will write down as many English words that mean ‘good’ as possible. It is ok to include commonly-used slang.

• Discuss under which contexts you tend to use each word.• To/with whom?• Where? When?• In what mode (oral or written?)• Did it started being used recently or a long time ago?

Language Variation• Languages and language choices vary according to social

setting• Region• Gender• Age• Occupation• Formality (more formal vs. less formal)• Community of practice• First language

Application

We will discuss how language variations and our attitude towards each variation influence the following:• Education• Media• Legal issues