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Accommodation Theory: 2. Diglossia

Accommodation theory suggests that in conversations, people will adjust their speech styles, or accommodate, to be more similar to the person they are speaking with. This is called convergence and usually occurs when people like each other. People may also diverge their speech to increase social distance. Diglossia refers to situations where two distinct language varieties exist in a community for different functions, such as a high prestige variety for formal contexts and a low variety for informal conversations. Examples include Arabic, Swiss German, and Haitian Creole.

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Mehak Fatima
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87 views13 pages

Accommodation Theory: 2. Diglossia

Accommodation theory suggests that in conversations, people will adjust their speech styles, or accommodate, to be more similar to the person they are speaking with. This is called convergence and usually occurs when people like each other. People may also diverge their speech to increase social distance. Diglossia refers to situations where two distinct language varieties exist in a community for different functions, such as a high prestige variety for formal contexts and a low variety for informal conversations. Examples include Arabic, Swiss German, and Haitian Creole.

Uploaded by

Mehak Fatima
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

Accommodation
Theory
2. Diglossia
Accommodation theory
 Accommodation theory was developed by
Howard Giles and others in the 1970s.
• It suggests that we adjust our speech to
‘accommodate’ the person we are addressing.
This may result in convergence or divergence.
 Convergence: this is more common and
occurs when we move our speech closer to
that of the other person.
 Divergence: when people’s speech styles
move further apart.
Accommodation Theory:
1- Speech Convergence
1. Speech Convergence: Adapting a speech
style that attempts to reduce social distance
by using forms that are similar to those used
by the person we are talking to.
 It is a politeness strategy that tends to
happen when the speakers like one another
or where one of them wants to please the
other by putting them at ease.
People converge their speech DOWNWARDS towards
the lesser linguistic proficiency of their addresses
who are often of a lower status.
 Example: When a doctor addresses a patient and
simplifies the vocabulary items he is using instead
of using the jargon of the medical field.
 People converge their speech UPWARDS towards
the more sophisticated linguistic proficiency of
their addresses who are often of a higher status.
Downward Convergence And
Upward Convergence.
 Examples of downward and upward
convergence?
 Someone with an RP accent ‘toning down’
their accent to speak someone with a ‘lower
class’ accent is called downward convergence.
 Someone with a ‘working class’ accent trying
to eliminate some of the stronger regional
features of their speech for a job interview with
an RP speaker is called upward convergence.
Accommodation Theory:
2- Speech Divergence
2. Speech Divergence: Deliberately choosing a
different language style not used by the addressee to
increase social distance.
 It is considered an uncooperative speech behaviour
and tends to happen when a person wants to show his
cultural distinctiveness, social status, ethnic identity… etc,

 People who want a higher social status will diverge


upwards from the speech of those from the same social
class.
In Other Parts of the World..
• Switching styles is carried out on a much larger and more
institutionalized scale. This sociolinguistic situation has
been called digloss
• Diglossia is a particular kind of language standardization
where two distinct varieties of a language exist side by side
throughout the speech community.
• Each of the two varieties is assigned a definite social
function.
• The two linguistic varieties in a diglossic situation are
considered by speakers to be separate.
• The two varieties have clear recognition in the community,
and have commonly known and used labels.
• Examples of languages which are diglossic and where there
exist a high variety and a low variety are Swiss German,
Arabic and Tamil.
Diglossic situation
• Four examples:

Situation 'high' variety 'low' variety


Arabic Classic Arabic Various regional
colloquial varieties
Swiss German Standard German Swiss German
Haitian Standard French Haiti Creole
Greek Katharévousa Dhimotiki
Variation of Diglossia
High variety low variety

Formal informal

Official, professional friendly,slang,vulgar


Diglossia
• The most important feature of the diglossic
situation is probably the specialization of a function
of the two varieties.
• The high variety is used in sermons, formal letters,
political speeches, university lectures, news
broadcasts, newspaper editorials and ‘high’ poetry.
• The low variety, on the other hand, is used in
conversation with family and friends, radio serials,
political and academic discussions, political
cartoons and ‘folk’ literature.
• The ‘high’ variety has no native speakers and in all
cases have to be learned in school.
• the high variety has greater prestige than the low
variety, and is often regarded as more beautiful,
even if it is less intelligible.
Diglossic situation: functions of H vs. L
Situation H L

Sermon in church or mosque x


Instructions to servants, waiters, worksmen, clerks x
Personal letter x
Speeches in parliament, political speeches x
University lecture x
Conversations with family, friends, colleagues x
News broadcasts x
Radio 'soap opera' x
Newspaper editorial, new story, caption on picture x
Caption on political cartoon x
Poetry x
Folk literature x
High (H) and Low (L) varieties
of a language are distinct, kept
separate, and used in different
situations.

All children learn the L variety,


but may not learn the H variety
(Wardhaugh 89)
Example of L moving towards H & becoming national language:
LANGUAGES IN INDONESIA: 300 languages and dialects are spoken in Indonesia, but Bahasa
Indonesia is the official and most widely spoken tongue. Its common use has helped unify the
200 million citizens since Indonesia’s independence in 1949. Bahasa Indonesia is based on
Malay, long the market language of coastal towns, and it contains elements of Chinese, Indian,
Dutch, and English. Today, television programs, major newspapers, schools, and universities all
use Bahasa Indonesia.

Do you speak English?


Bisa bicara Bahasa Inggris?

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