LIN 1340 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Language Change, Preadolescence, Peer Group
22 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Approaches to the study of language & age. Age is the least understood in sociolinguisic terms. Many gaps in our knowledge, especially with regard to how children acquire paterns of variaion, and how language paterns in old age. In some non-western socieies age can be indicated with rites of passage and not with actual age. Only when examined in the context of its social signiicance does it become useful: chronological age is not always as important as ones lie stage. Labov: we use language diferently at diferent stages in our life, not necessarily by our. Categories are: preadolescence, adolescence, adulthood & old age. Ethnographically-sensiive studies of age stress the need to analyse the speech of a given age cohort. 19: beginning of regular employment and family life (20-29, full engagement in the work force and family responsibiliies. (30-59, reirement (60+) This is a relaively new area of study.
