Sex, Covert Prestige, and Linguistic Change
Executive Summary
This article discusses the differences in the linguistic patterns existing between the men and women associated with covert prestige based on British English. In this article, Trudgill reports on the results obtained by conducting a study on the variations of the use of the British English. From the results, Trudgill found out that sex differentiation has a great role in identifying the speaking of the urban English. The women have a higher score in the use of the British English while the man had a low score.
Detailed Summary
Research Questions
There are three main research questions, which Trudgill answers in this article. The first one is the type of differentiation that occurs in the use of British English between the sexes (Trudgill 180). Then, Trudgill (180) discusses the factors that cause the existing differentiation. Lastly, Trudgill (180) examines the roles, which the differentiation plays in propagating and studying the linguistic changes.
Methodology
Trudgill based this study on the figures collected from the urban dialect survey conducted in Norwich city in 1968. Therefore, the first method involved the study of previous research data, which had vital information on the use of English in Norwich. 60 participants were involved in this study. The variables considered when selecting the sample are age, social class, and stylistic context (Trudgill 181). The objective of using this data was to get the information on the use of standard and non-standard English by the male and female among 4 contextual and 5 class groups.
1.The pronunciation of (ng) :/ɪŋ/ for RP and /ən~n/
The second method involved carrying out a self – evaluation test. The test results were compared among sex, social class, contextual style as well as age. Then compared to other results from the study conducted by Labov.
The pronunciation of (yu): /ju/ for RP and /u:~ɜu/
The pronunciation of (er):/ ɪə/ and/ɛ:/
The pronunciation of (o): / ə u/ and /u:/
The pronunciation of (ɑ): /e ɪ/ and / æi/
Results
From the results, the women have a higher rate of using the Standard English compared to the men. Additionally, the study of the samples in Norwich shows that men frequently use the casual language while the women use the formal language. There is also a variation in the use of Standard English among the social classes. The standard language is employed by the working class and middle working class. On the other hand, the low class uses the non-standard language for communication. Trudgill states that the results can apply to identifying methods through which one can improve the use of standard language in men. Besides, the results can be used to introduce linguistic changes and encourage the use of Standard English.
Reflection
From this article, the author used information that was relevant to the goals of the research or the study topic. Trudgill supports the hypothesis that women frequently use the standard British English on a higher frequency than the men. Besides, the author clearly shows the relationship between covert prestige and different forms of linguistic. According to Trudgill (182), the first reason for the variation in the use of English language is that the women tend to have a higher status conscious than men because they have a less secure social position. Besides, the Society rates the women according to their appearance including the fluent in the use of English language. Again, men use the non-standard English because their language is associated with masculinity. Therefore, the results reflect the perception of the society on the use of language between the men and the women.
Conclusion
This study aimed at identifying the existing patterns of the use of British English between the men and the women in Norwich. The results show that men use the non-standard language while the women use the standard language. The societal value is the main factor contributing to the differences. From the article, the author shows a clear understanding of the research topic and uses enough evidence to prove his results.
Work Cited
Trudgill, Peter. “Sex, covert prestige and linguistic change in the urban British English of Norwich.” Language in Society 1.02 (1972): 179-195.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|