8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

1/9

COMM1101

R. Grant

September 29,2015

The Language

Situation

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

2/9

The Speech Continuum

What is the Speech Continuum?

a continuous spectrum of speecharieties ran!in! from the Creo"e to thestan#ar# "an!ua!e.

Main "ee"s of the continuum

$cro"ect %stan#ar# ariet&' Meso"ect %interme#iate arieties' (asi"ect %Creo"e'

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

3/9

Basilect

a "ess presti!ious #ia"ect or

ariet& of a particu"ar "an!ua!e.

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

4/9

Mesolect

an& ariet& of "an!ua!e in a

speech continuum that is

interme#iate bet)een the

basi"ect an# the acro"ect

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

5/9

 Acrolect

the most presti!ious #ia"ect

or ariet& of a particu"ar

"an!ua!e.

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

6/9

• *!. $ +mi ba!#is

($S-*C

• *!. s m&ba! #is

M*SO-*C 

•  his ba!is mine

$CRO-*C

 

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

7/9

Pidgin (hybrid language)

 his consists of features of

the spea/ers native language

an# the other language the

spea/er is interactin! )ith. (. se# amon! persons from #i3erent speech communities

*!. *n!"ish p"anters an# $frican 4s"aes

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

8/9

Creole

a "an!ua!e that comes into

bein! throu!h contact

bet)een t)o or more

"an!ua!es. 

8/16/2019 The Language Situation COMM1

9/9

Bilingualism and Multilingualism

Refers to the abi"it& to spea/ more than one "an!ua!es %(i6t)o an# Mu"ti6mu"tip"e7seera"'.

When is a person tru"& bi"in!ua"? %*8tremes/no)s a fe))or#s cannot be #i3erentiate# from a natie spea/er'

$ bi"in!ua" spea/er )i"" s)itch bet)een co#es an# is notnecessari"&restricte# b& speech conte8t.

*8amp"e of bi"in!ua" speech communit& outsi#e the

Caribbean is Cana#a %:rench an# *n!"ish'.:or e.!. of Caribbean bi"in!ua" situation consi#erin#ii#ua"7#efacto situation %e8amine ;uerto Rico )hich has*n!"ish as an a##itiona" "an!ua!e in the speech communit&but it %*n!"ish' is not o