Journal article 1764 views
Patterns of age-based linguistic variation in American English
Journal of Sociolinguistics, Volume: 12, Issue: 1, Pages: 58 - 88
Swansea University Author:
Federica Barbieri
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DOI (Published version): 10.1111/j.1467-9841.2008.00353.x
Abstract
The present study employs the corpus linguistics technique of key word analysis on a large corpus of casual conversation in American English to explore age-based linguistic variation in spontaneous conversation. The goal was to shed light on how language varies across the life-span. In prior socioli...
| Published in: | Journal of Sociolinguistics |
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| ISSN: | 1360-6441 1467-9841 |
| Published: |
2008
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa13414 |
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| Abstract: |
The present study employs the corpus linguistics technique of key word analysis on a large corpus of casual conversation in American English to explore age-based linguistic variation in spontaneous conversation. The goal was to shed light on how language varies across the life-span. In prior sociolinguistic research, speaker age had been considered the principal correlate of language change; however, unlike other socio-linguistic variables (e.g., sex, socio-economic class), age had not typically been of interest in and of itself. Key word analysis was applied on two corpora representing the speech of speakers aged 15-25 and speakers aged 35 and above, which were extracted from an intact corpus using a custom program. The key words led to two main patterns of variation: use of slang and use of stance-related features. Younger speakers talk is characterized by extraordinarily frequent use of swear and slang words. More interestingly though, younger speaker talk is characterized by a number of linguistic features which have been regarded as markers of stance. These differences are interpreted functionally. It is suggested that the instantiation of speaker’s stance and emotional involvement is more explicit and plays a bigger role among the youth than among adults. |
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| Keywords: |
American English, conversation, age, stance, slang, corpus linguistics, key word analysis |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Issue: |
1 |
| Start Page: |
58 |
| End Page: |
88 |