Worksheet 7_Diglossia-2

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Apr 3, 2024

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Language and Society Prof. Borjian Worksheet # 7 Reading : Ferguson, C. (2000). Diglossia. In Li Wei (ed.), The Bilingual Reader (pp. 65-80). US: Routledge. Read the reading and answer the following key terms/concepts or questions: 1. What is Diglossia and how is it different from Bilingualism ? 'Diglossia' refers to a phenomenon where two or more languages (or language variations) are used in a single society, but for different situations or purposes. Typically, one language may be used in formal situations, while another is used in informal situations. On the other hand, 'Bilingualism' refers to an individual's ability to proficiently use two languages. Bilingual individuals can freely use both languages, regardless of the context. Therefore, the main difference between these two phenomena is that while diglossia is determined by the situation of language use, bilingualism focuses on an individual's language proficiency. ( Ferguson) 2. What are three languages with diglossia? Arabic, Swiss/German, Greek ( Ferguson) 3. What are the High (H) and the Low (L) Varieties in a diglossic language? In a diglossic language situation, the "High (H)" and "Low (L)" varieties refer to the perceived prestige and usage contexts of the language variants. High (H) Variety: This is the more prestigious form of the language. It's often used in formal situations, such as in education, literature, official documents, or media broadcasts. The 'H' variety is often standardized and may be the one taught to non-native speakers. Low (L) Variety: This is the less prestigious form, often used in informal, everyday situations. It's typically the spoken language used at home, in the street, or among friends. The 'L' variety is often more colloquial and may vary significantly between different regions or social groups. ( Ferguson) 4. In a diglossic language, how the H and L varieties are different in terms of the following principles? Reflect on 5 of the following concepts: Prestige : In all the defining languages the speakers regard H as asuperior to L in a number of respects.
Acquisition: Adults use L in speaking to children and children use L in speaking to another. However, actual learning of H is accomplished by formal education Standardization : In all the defining languages there is a strong tradition of grammatical study of the H form of the language (grammars, dictionaries, treatises on pronunciation, style\, etc..) Grammar : Biggest differences between H and L in defining languages is in the grammatical structure. H has grammatical categories not present in L and has an inflectional system of nouns and verbs which is much reduced or totally absent in L. Lexicon : There are lots of vocabulary sharing H and L. However, H includes in its total lexicon technical terms and learned expressions which have no regular L equivalents, since the subjects involved are rarely if ever discussed in pure L. ( Ferguson) 5. Briefly reflect on the video clip posted on diglossia for this week. Did the narrator say anything different about diglossia from what was discussed in class reading? It involves a "High Variety" used for formal situations and a "Low Variety" used for everyday conversation, which lacks formal grammar and writing conventions. Video gave some examples. In Arabic, where Standard Arabic is used formally while local dialects are used conversationally. In Italy, numerous local languages serve as Low Variety, while Standard Italian functions as High Variety. In Switzerland, Diglossia is particularly pronounced, with locals using their dialects for all communication, including formal situations, unlike the typical distinction between High and Low Varieties.
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