Methods for Modeling Social Factors in Language Shift

In this paper we expand our understanding of language endangerment by shifting the focus from small language communities to minority language communities with speaker populations in the millions. We argue for a methodological shift toward examining language shift scenarios more broadly and quantitatively for two main reasons: 1) it is becoming increasingly clear that a large speaker population does not protect against language shift (Anderbeck 2013); 2) we need to make a distinction between the symptoms and the causes of language shift, where factors such as a dwindling number of child speakers should be seen as symptoms of language shift that are caused by other factors (Himmelmann 2010). In this paper we use Indonesia as a case study and analyze a sample of the 2010 census. We treat language choice as a sociolinguistic variable and analyze the correlation between six social factors and language choice (local languages vs. the national language, Indonesian). These results provide a starting point for creating more comprehensive models of the sociolinguistics of language shift

Styles, standards and meaning

Abstract Style, in the study of variation and change, is intimately linked with broader questions about linguistic innovation and change, standards, social norms, and individual speakers’ stances. This article examines style when applied to lesser-studied languages. Style is both (i) the product of speakers’ choices among variants, and (ii) something reflexively produced through the association of variants and the social position of the users of those variants. In the context of the languages considered here, we ask “What questions do we have about variation in this language and what notion(s) of style will answer them?” We highlight methodological, conceptual and analytical challenges for the notion of style as it is usually operationalised in variationist sociolinguistics. We demonstrate that style is a useful research heuristic which – when marshalled alongside locally-oriented accounts of, or proxies for “standard” and “prestige”, in apparent time – allows us to describe language and explore change. It is also a means for exploring social meaning, which speakers may have more or less conscious control over

Styles, standards and meaning

Style, in the study of variation and change, is intimately linked with broader questions about linguistic innovation and change, standards, social norms, and individual speakers’ stances. This article examines style when applied to lesser-studied languages. Style is both (i) the product of speakers’ choices among variants, and (ii) something reflexively produced through the association of variants and the social position of the users of those variants. In the context of the languages considered here, we ask “What questions do we have about variation in this language and what notion(s) of style will answer them?” We highlight methodological, conceptual and analytical challenges for the notion of style as it is usually operationalised in variationist sociolinguistics. We demonstrate that style is a useful research heuristic which – when marshalled alongside locally-oriented accounts of, or proxies for “standard” and “prestige”, in apparent time – allows us to describe language and explore change. It is also a means for exploring social meaning, which speakers may have more or less conscious control over

Styles, standards and meaning:Issues in the globalisation of sociolinguistics

Style, in the study of variation and change, is intimately linked with broaderquestions about linguistic innovation and change, standards, social norms,and individual speakers’ stances. This article examines style when applied tolesser-studied languages. Style is both (i) the product of speakers’ choicesamong variants, and (ii) something reflexively produced through the associationof variants and the social position of the users of those variants. In thecontext of the languages considered here, we ask “What questions do wehave about variation in this language and what notion(s) of style will answerthem?” We highlight methodological, conceptual and analytical challengesfor the notion of style as it is usually operationalised in variationist sociolinguistics.We demonstrate that style is a useful research heuristic which –when marshalled alongside locally-oriented accounts of, or proxies for“standard” and “prestige”, in apparent time – allows us to describe languageand explore change. It is also a means for exploring social meaning, whichspeakers may have more or less conscious control over

Styles, standards and meaning:Issues in the globalisation of sociolinguistics

Style, in the study of variation and change, is intimately linked with broaderquestions about linguistic innovation and change, standards, social norms,and individual speakers’ stances. This article examines style when applied tolesser-studied languages. Style is both (i) the product of speakers’ choicesamong variants, and (ii) something reflexively produced through the associationof variants and the social position of the users of those variants. In thecontext of the languages considered here, we ask “What questions do wehave about variation in this language and what notion(s) of style will answerthem?” We highlight methodological, conceptual and analytical challengesfor the notion of style as it is usually operationalised in variationist sociolinguistics.We demonstrate that style is a useful research heuristic which –when marshalled alongside locally-oriented accounts of, or proxies for“standard” and “prestige”, in apparent time – allows us to describe languageand explore change. It is also a means for exploring social meaning, whichspeakers may have more or less conscious control over