Regional and social dialects

Worked by:
• Lidia Kashari
• Marsidsa Çaushaj
About regional dialects and varieties…

What is a regional dialect?

Dialect vs Variety

Dialect vs Language

Examples of dialects in American

and British English

Why do regional dialects develop?

What is a regional dialect?

A regional dialect is a form of language unique to a

geographical area or region. They are characterized by
distinct features of pronunciation, grammar,
vocabulary, and usage that are different from other
dialects of the same language spoken in other areas.

Regional dialects vary within one country.

For instance, standard American English in media

differs from the Southern United States' everyday
speech in vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.
Think of variety as all the different ways people speak a
Variety language. This includes how people from different places
talk (like with different accents or words) and how
people talk in different situations (like using formal
language at work and casual language with friends).

Dialect A dialect is a type of variety that's about how people in a

specific area or group talk, while variety is the broader term
for all the different ways people can speak one language.

While all dialects are varieties, not all language varieties are considered dialects. Varieties cover a wide
range of language forms, but dialects are specifically about regional or social differences in language.
Why are some ways of speaking called languages while others
are called dialects?

‘A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.’

Languages and dialects can be confusing because they're not

always clearly defined. Sometimes, what's considered a language
versus a dialect depends on political and cultural factors.
Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish are quite similar and can
understand each other, but they're seen as separate languages.
In China, many local dialects are grouped under the label
"Chinese," even though they can be very different and not
mutually understandable.
English (or Spanish, or French, and others)
has hundreds of dialects.

Linguists still end up calling them dialects,

because a speaker of English from, like, New
Jersey can still understand one from
California, or even one from Newcastle,
with a little bit of practice. But even though
they’re mutually intelligible, each dialect of
English - and of every other language - has
its own fully developed, fully functional
mental grammar.
American English dialects

In the Southern United States, people call shoes you work out in
"tennis shoes," while in the East Coast, people call these shoes
"sneakers.“

Each regional dialect also has its vocabulary that people within their
regional dialects might not use or understand. For example, in the
Inland North dialect, words like Buckeye (an Ohio resident) and Fish
tug (a Michigan fishing boat) are words that someone with the
Inland Mountain Southern regional dialect would not be familiar
with.

Large regions of the US say “car-mel” with two syllables, except for a
large area of the east coast and southeast, where they say
“caramel”.
American English dialects

People in the Midwestern United States

drink ‘pop,’ while on the East coast the
same drink is called ‘soda,’ and those in
certain parts of the South just call it
‘Coke.’

Southern American English. Use of vowel

sounds, ‘y’all’ as second-person plural
pronoun, ‘fixin’ for "getting ready to“

Native New Yorkers tend to switch the

letter T for D and say ‘da’ instead of ‘the.’
A similar dialect is the Boston dialect,
where they switch R for H. For instance,
someone from Boston might say ‘wadah’
instead of ‘water.’
British English dialects

Scouse English in Liverpool, North 3 West Country English in South

1 Geordie English in North East 2
West England. West England.
England.

Use of "la" or "kid" as a term of Use of "where to" instead of

Use of "canny" to mean "good" or "where," "gurt" instead of "great,"
"nice," "pet“ as a term to show love address, "giz" or "give us" to mean
"give me“ use of "-ee" instead of "-y" as a
and affection, "hoy" to mean diminutive
"throw“

• "Alright, la?“ • "Where to you reckon this

• "That film was canny good, like!“
goes?“
• "Are ya alreet, pet?“ • "Giz a hand with this, will ya,
kid?“ • "That pasty was gurt lush!“
• "Hoy us that ball, will ya? • "He's a proper cheeky little
• "Give us a shout when you're
ready, la." monkey, hee, isn't he?"
An isogloss is a linguistic term used to
describe a geographical boundary or line
separating areas where different linguistic
features are used. These features can include
variations in pronunciation, vocabulary,
grammar, or sentence structure. Isoglosses are
often used in sociolinguistics to study the
distribution of linguistic features across
regions and to map out linguistic boundaries
within a language or dialect.
Dialect development

Regional variation takes When people in a country In larger countries where people
time to develop. British communicate frequently with each from different regions have limited
and US English have many other and the overall population is interaction, they are more likely to
dialects, but in areas small, regional differences in develop noticeable variations in
where English has been language tend to decrease. This is their way of speaking due to less
introduced more recently, because regular communication influence from other regions.
such as Australia and New leads to a blending of language
Zealand, there seems to features, making accents and We can say, regional dialects
be less regional variation. dialects less distinct. provide insight into how people
communicate in different parts of a
country.
Flight of the Conchords refers to
a New Zealand-based comedy
duo composed of Bret McKenzie
and Jemaine Clement. They are
known for their musical comedy
style, which often includes
humorous songs and sketches.

The word dead as it is

pronounced in New Zealand may
be confused by other English
people with the word ‘bad’ or
‘dad’. In this case is confused with
the word did.
Scottish dialect, speaking in a thick Doric
accent
I wasna anya say it myself. Og dae gahere
wa a liɾle.“

I wasn’t going to say it myself, I'll go out

there and watch a little.

If he was a wee bit closer, I could lob a

caber at him, ye ken.

"If he gets a little bit closer I can throw a

Caber at him, you know“

It's jist nae fair makin us ficht for the hand o

the quine that disnae want any bit o it. Ken?

"Just, not fair making us fight for the hand

of the queen that does not want no part of
it, you know"
Definition of a social dialect

Social dialect is a variation of a language associated with a particular social

group or community.
Social dialect is also called sociolect.
Social Dialect in Sociolinguistics

The term social dialect comes from a field of study

called sociolinguistics, the study of how society Dialect is not the same thing as an accent!
impacts language use. Sociolinguists called A person’s accent is the way that they
dialectologists have long studied the impact of pronounce words. A person’s dialect can
regional differences on language variation. In the include how they pronounce words but
mid-1900s, several sociolinguists became also their vocabulary, grammar, and syntax
interested in how linguistic variation can also be a (how they arrange words in phrases and
result of social and cultural context. Thus sentences).
developed the distinction between two main types
of dialect: regional dialect and social dialect.
Examples of Social Dialects

African American Vernacular English, also known as Ebonics, is an

example of a social dialect. In particular, it is an example of how
ethnic identity can impact variation in language use.
Ebonics is a non-standard dialect that has unique language features.
For instance, it includes the following characteristics:
• Contractions like "ain’t,”
• Omission the final constants of words like "han" vs. handa
• Use of double negatives/inversion of negatives like "Ain't nobody..
Other examples of social dialects include:

• Cockney English which is characterized by features such as

the use of rhyming slang, dropping the letter ‘h’ in certain
words, and using the glottal stop in certain words.

•Southern American English which is characterized by features

such as the use of the monophthongal vowel sound in words
like "ride" and "time." the use of the word "y'all" as a second
person plural pronoun, and the use of the word "fixin'" as a
colloquialism for "getting ready to.“

• Yorkshire English which is characterized by features such as

the use of the word "nowt" instead of 'nothing," the use of the
word "summat' instead of "something." and the use of the
word "ey up" as a greeting.
Examples of Differences in Dialects

Social Dialect Regional Dialect

• Differences are a result of • Differences are a result of distinct

multiple, overlapping social geographical differences
factors • Same regional dialects in the same
• Different social dialects in the physical communities
same physical communities • A mark of geographical region
• A mark of socioeconomic class and
social position
Factors Affecting Social Dialect

Multiple social factors impact people's dialects, and they tend to overlap. The following
factors can all be considered when analyzing social dialect.
Age
Age influences social dialect because popular expressions change over time. Young
people also tend to make up new slang (informal, shortened language) that older
generations do not learn. For example, students in school might communicate with
phrases like "no cap" that adults do not use. Language use also tends to mature with
age. Adults who exist in more professional environments than young people also
cannot use informal language as frequently. Older people also have an advanced
understanding of how to use language to achieve different goals and adapt to different
social contexts.
Example
Young people might greet one another by saying
Wassup?" while older people grow accustomed to using more formal greetings such as
"Hello! How are you?"
Education

Education level, often connected with socioeconomic status, has one

of the most significant impacts on social dialect. Children with lower
education levels, especially in early childhood, tend to be slower in
acquiring language than other children. It takes them longer to
develop an advanced vocabulary and understand complex syntactical
structures. Higher education levels also lead to the development of
more formal vocabulary and the use of more advanced vocabulary.
For example, people who attend college and post-graduate
institutions will use more technical language than those who only
study through high school.
Example
Young adults with higher education levels are more likely to be able to
write a convincing persuasive speech than young adults who have not
learned rhetorical appeals.
Ethnic Background

The ethnic group or groups a person belongs to also shapes language

use. Not to be confused with the physical socially constructed label of
race, a person's ethnicity is their social identity and accounts for
factors like nationality, religion, and culture. A language variety that's
specific to an ethnogroup is called an ethnolect.
Example
It is common among Jewish people to exclaim "oy vey" when
frustrated.
Gender
Gender identity can profoundly impact other social
factors in a person's life, like their social status and their
level of education. As a result, gender identity can affect
language patterns.

For example, in communities where women are seen as

inferior to men, they may use more formal vocabulary
and sentence structure when talking to a man they do
not know than when talking to other women.
Frequently Asked Questions about social Dialects
Q: What is meant by social dialect?
A: Social dialect is a variety of language associated with a particular social group.
Q: What is the difference between social dialect and regional dialect?
A: Social dialect is a variety of language associated with a particular social group.
Regional dialect is a variety of language associated with geographic location.
G: Why standard language is described as social dialect?
A: When a social dialect is used in written form and in formal settings, it becomes
standard language.
Q: What are the factors affecting social dialect?
A: Many factors affect social dialect including socioeconomic class, education level,
age, and occupation.