Variation, change and the usage-based approach
The potential for synthesis between variationist sociolinguistics and theoretical linguistics has been recognised by researchers in both sub-disciplines (e.g. Henry 1995; Adger and Smith 2005) but it has been difficult to move beyond a description of this unified approach towards an account of variation that can explain both âsocialâ and âlinguisticâ phenomena in the same theoretical framework. Chambers (2005: 217) suggests that such a synthesis is currently âwell beyond our reach and hardly even foreseeableâ. I argue that this is partly because most of the theories on which attempts to address this issue are modelled are fundamentally asocial in their design and in order to improve the synthesis between sociolinguistics and theoretical linguistics, it is necessary to first begin with a theory in which social and linguistic knowledge are inherently and inextricably linked in cognition. The aim of this thesis is therefore to consider to what extent it is possible to synthesise variationist sociolinguistic methods of data collection and analysis with usage-based models of interpretation. Using the ethnographic technique of participant observation, the data for this thesis were collected over a 2
Clark, Lynn
Sociolinguistics ; Linguistics
Variation, change and the usage-based approach. The potential for synthesis between variationist sociolinguistics and theoretical linguistics has been recognised by researchers in both sub-disciplines (e.g. Henry 1995; Adger and Smith 2005) but it has been difficult to move beyond a description of this unified approach towards an account of variation that can explain both âsocialâ and âlinguisticâ phenomena in the same theoretical framework. Chambers (2005: 217) suggests that such a synthesis is currently âwell beyond our reach and hardly even foreseeableâ. I argue that this is partly because most of the theories on which attempts to address this issue are modelled are fundamentally asocial in their design and in order to improve the synthesis between sociolinguistics and theoretical linguistics, it is necessary to first begin with a theory in which social and linguistic knowledge are inherently and inextricably linked in cognition. The aim of this thesis is therefore to consider to what extent it is possible to synthesise variationist sociolinguistic methods of data collection and analysis with usage-based models of interpretation. Using the ethnographic technique of participant observation, the data for this thesis were collected over a 2
variation_change usage_based approach potential synthesis variationist sociolinguistics theoretical_linguistics recognise researcher sub disciplines henry smith difficult move_beyond description unified towards account variation explain social linguistic_phenomenon theoretical_framework suggest synthesis currently well beyond reach hardly even argue partly theories attempt_address issue model fundamentally design order_improve synthesis sociolinguistics theoretical_linguistics necessary first begin theory social linguistic_knowledge inherently inextricably_link cognition aim_therefore consider_extent possible synthesise variationist sociolinguistic method data_collection analysis usage_based model interpretation using ethnographic technique participant_observation data_collect