SOCIOLINGUISTICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SOCIOLINGUISTICS - Essay ExampleHowever, quantitative study is the ideal methodology in studying magnetic variations in English words as a back up language because it clearly outlines effects of language transfer. There have been a number of notable studies in the field of sociolinguistics from the view of English as a second language. However, in this case the main focus is on two studies. The first genius was conducted in New York City by William Labov where he investigated the variations in pronouncing protean /r/. Labov argued that New Yorkers, curiously the issue people, had developed a tendency of pronouncing /r/ protean after vowels in their speech. This case would plausibly occur while pronouncing words like floor and fourth. Labov conducted his research in three stores in the city which included S. Klein, Saks, and Macys. His approach in testing these hypotheses involved face to face interviews with the store employees. He repetitively asked for directions to depart ments in the fourth floor and intention solelyy made the respondent to repeat fourth floor computer simulation not to have heard it the first time (Wardhaugh, 2006). Moreover, the research involved a number of kindly factors such as social-classes ranging from high, middle, to low class. Labov found out that a significant number of employees in all the three stores never used variable /r/ in the first respond. The results of those employees who never used variable /r/ reflected 79 percent in S. Klein, 38 percent in Saks and 49 percent in Macys. However, in the second or third response of same words, the percentage of those using variable /r/ increased. The research also showed that variable /r/ was well-nighly observed while pronouncing floor than fourth. These in relation to individuals using English as a second language shows that there are higher(prenominal) possibilities of such individuals using /r/ variable in most cases. Labov further examined the results from the three st ores and discovered that young employees, in Saks, used the variable /r/ more compared to elderly employees. On the other hand, Macys info showed an increase in the use of /r/ variable with age while S. Kleins data did not show much variation. These results led Labov to conclude that, there is relatively minimal or no tilt of pronunciation developed in adolescence regardless of the social-class of an individual (Wardhaugh, 2006). Later, Labov conducted a more compressive research to test the dead reckoning on pronunciation of the /r/ variable in relation to social class. He discovered that most upper middle class people in New York value pronunciation of the /r/ variable in words such as guard and car. This is, however, contrary to the history of / r/ variable pronunciation in New York. Use of variable /r/ in New York between eighteenth degree Celsius and World War II had reduced significantly. Therefore, the only explanation behind the tremendous increase in using /r/ variable in New York would be the influence of immigrants, mostly English second language speakers, moving into the city (Bayley, 2005). Therefore, using English as a second language contributes to variation in the use of language. In this case, Labov interviewed more New Yorker, although this time, they were just required to give their view round the people whose speech differs only in pronunciation of /r/ variable. People between the age pigeonholing of 0-20 years approved and used more of