4.2: Classroom and At-Home Activity- Studying Language Variation

Studying Language Variation

Some of this activity will be completed in class and some will be completed out of class as homework. 

In-class Preparation for the Language Observation Journal

As you prepare to conduct your anthropological study of language, you will first discuss the following questions with a peer and then share out with the class. 

1. On a notecard or piece of notebook paper, finish this sentence: "Language is like clothing because ______________." Then offer an example to support your statement.  
2. After watching the TED talk, "3 Ways to Speak English," discuss with your peer the three ways that Jamila Lyiscott speaks English. How are they different? In what context or with whom does she speak each kind of English? Refer back to the transcript of her TED talk (included in the readings for this module) to identify specific examples.
3. Using the internet, find two different videos that illustrate two very different styles of English. Be ready to share and to point out the specific differences you observe. (If time, find a third or fourth style of English to share with the class!) 
4. Now consider your own use of language. How many different ways do you speak? With whom? In what context? If you speak languages other than English, include these too and consider all the variations of those languages that you speak. For instance, some students find that they speak Spanglish--a combination of Spanish and English--with their friends but speak more formal Spanish with their grandparents. (You and your peer can make separate lists or you can combine your lists.)

Share your answers with your class. 

Language Observation Journal (complete out of class and bring to class)

Note: This activity will take you a full week to complete! Make sure you have a notebook or place to take notes as you make observations throughout the week.

This observation and journaling activity will help you collect examples that you can use in a paper you are going to write. The final paper will address this question: How do you notice your language (vocabulary, expressions, phrases) change when you are speaking with different people?

But before you answer that question, you will first observe how others speak.

There are two purposes for this assignment:

1. The activity will help you reflect on how people naturally change how they speak depending on who they are speaking to, in what context or setting, and for what purpose.
2. The activity will strengthen your ability to make observations, which you will use as evidence for your later composition.

In order to answer this question, you will need to become more aware of different styles of speaking. Over the next week, listen closely to how other people speak in different settings. Keep a journal to record your observations. You can write in a notebook or on loose-leaf paper or however you want as long as you are recording your observations somehow. You will be expected to bring the notes you take to class to discuss and to turn them in with the final writing assignment. Include anything that sticks out to you. Specifically, you may want to consider word choice, the use of slang or colloquial expressions, and tone of voice. Be sure to observe and consider at least two of the different settings listed below.

Consider the following audiences:

• How do people speak differently to a baby? Do they change their tone of voice? Do they use different words? Are there things people would not say in front of a baby that they would say in front of an adult?
• How do people speak to those that they respect such as a pastor, a parent or a grandparent? Does their tone change?
• How do people speak to their friends? Do they use certain expressions or slang terms that others might not understand?
• How do people speak to a boyfriend/girlfriend? Do they use pet names or other distinctive vocabulary? What is their tone? Can you tell if a friend is speaking to his/her significant other on the phone? If so, how can you tell?
• How do people speak to a potential boss while on a job interview? Does their language change? Do they pay more attention to the words they choose to use?
• How do journalists speak on the news? Do they have a distinctive tone of voice or pattern of inflection?

After keeping a journal for three days and reporting on at least two of the above situations, next pay attention to your own use of language. The goal is to become conscious of how your own language changes when you speak to different people. Keep a journal and jot down notes of what words and expressions you hear yourself use in particular settings. Be sure to take detailed notes on how you speak in two different settings (perhaps at work speaking with your boss and at home speaking to your child). You want to be as specific as possible, recording direct quotes of things you said. Note also your tone of voice, volume, body language and other details. You also want to address why you change the way you speak in these two settings.

As you review your observation notes to prepare to write your paper, ask yourself the following questions: Would it feel weird if I just said that to my boss? Would I speak this way to my child? Would my mother know what I was talking about if I used that expression? Would someone who didn’t know me understand what I was talking about? Would my friends tease me if I used that expression in casual conversation?