Language, power, and identity
How we speak marks who we are, and some ways of speaking are given more respect than others.
Dialects and speech communities
A dialect is a variety of a language with its own pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Linguistically, no dialect is better than another; each is fully rule-governed. A speech community is a group that shares a language variety and expectations about how to use it. 'Standard' varieties usually gain prestige because they are spoken by powerful groups, not because they are more logical.
Code-switching
Many people move between languages or dialects depending on the setting: one way with friends, another at a job interview. This code-switching is a sophisticated skill. It can signal identity and solidarity, but it can also be a burden when people feel pressure to hide their home variety to be taken seriously.
Endangered languages and revitalisation
Thousands of the world's languages are endangered, often because of colonial policies, migration, and pressure to use dominant languages. When a language disappears, unique knowledge and ways of expressing the world can be lost. Communities around the world run revitalisation programmes, such as language nests where young children learn from fluent elders.
Flashcard
A rule-governed variety of a language
Check your understanding
A student speaks one dialect with family and a different one in class presentations. This is: