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Chapter 7 - Reading Guide

This reading guide summarizes key concepts from Chapter 7 of Meyerhoff (2019) related to studying language variation over time. It discusses the differences between real time studies, which observe changes in a single community over decades, and apparent time studies, which compare language use across age groups. Specifically, it defines real time, apparent time, corpora, panel studies, trend studies, apparent time studies, critical period, profiles of change (generational, lifespan, age-grading, stable variables), challenges to real time and apparent time studies, language and aging, and aging deficits. The reading guide aims to help students understand and define these important linguistic concepts for studying how language varies across generations and individuals over their lifetimes.

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142 views4 pages

Chapter 7 - Reading Guide

This reading guide summarizes key concepts from Chapter 7 of Meyerhoff (2019) related to studying language variation over time. It discusses the differences between real time studies, which observe changes in a single community over decades, and apparent time studies, which compare language use across age groups. Specifically, it defines real time, apparent time, corpora, panel studies, trend studies, apparent time studies, critical period, profiles of change (generational, lifespan, age-grading, stable variables), challenges to real time and apparent time studies, language and aging, and aging deficits. The reading guide aims to help students understand and define these important linguistic concepts for studying how language varies across generations and individuals over their lifetimes.

Uploaded by

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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 DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LING 1020, Fall 2020

Reading guide for Chapter 7 of Meyerhoff (2019), pages 143-174

Here is a list of key terms and ideas you need to know. Write a definition or explanation for each
one as you read Chapter 7. They are in the same order as they appear in the chapter. Also, make
sure you understand the studies cited in the chapter.

 real time: Augustine time. The passing of years, hours, minutes and seconds that we

measure with calendars and clocks and that we think we understand until we really think

about it

 apparent time: the passage of time

o apparent time is measured by: comparing speakers of different ages in a single

speech community

o assumption: speakers only minimaly change the way they speak after the critical

period or in adulthood.

 corpora (p.146; Meyerhoff doesn’t say what this word means – you may need to

look it up): a collection of written or spoken material in machine-readable form,


assembled for the purpose of studying linguistic structures, frequencies, etc

Real Time Studies

 panel studies: studies of variation across real time when participants are held constant

 trend studies: involves comparing speech members of the same speech community at

different points in time

Apparent Time Studies

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 apparent time studies: sampling speakers of different ages and comparing the frequency

of a variant in the speech of successive generations.

 critical period: period which language learning seems to be easiest; that is, in childhood

and for people going into early adolescence

How do we know apparent time studies yield reliable results?

 real time tests of the apparent time construct: able to use the apparent time info to infer

what the general trends will be for younger gen

 lifespan change:

 Which is more stable, phonology or vocabulary?-

Profiles of change

 generational change: each gen in a community shows progressively more and more

frequent use of a variant. A change that can be inferred to be taking place on the basis of

apparent time evidence is a generational change

 lifespan change (again!): When individual changes their own speech after the critical

period but in a manner that is consistent with the gradual change taking place in the

community as a whole

 age-grading: all speakers of a community use more tokens of one variant at a certain age

and more tokens of another variant at another age, the variable is said to be age graded

 stable variable: If there is no evidence from generational change that one variant is

pushing out another variant the variable can be considered stable

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 At what age are speakers more likely to use standard variants, even if they didn’t use

them as kids? 20-40

 symbolic power:

 linguistic marketplace: A way of talking about the extent to which an occupation or

activity is associated with use of the standard language

 community-wide change: An entire group or community switch to use of a new variant at

about the same time

Summary of variation across time

 What are the four kinds of change discussed in the chapter?

1) Community wide

2) Generational

3) Age-grading

4) Lifespan

Challenges

 challenges for real time studies:

o time: under pressure to produce results cant use 20-30s gathering data

o drop-out rates: participants leaving need enough people to make a generalizations

sensible and reliable

 challenges for apparent time studies:

o lexical variables: studys cant be deployed in the study of lexical variables since

people add their own vocab throughout their lives

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o lifespan change: cant assume individual stability if go through this change

Language and Aging

 aging deficits: impaired performances on tasks or activities compared with younger

speakers

 Why should we be careful with the phrase aging deficits?

Can be seen as an improvement by others

 What linguistic features actually improve in older speakers?

Vocabulary and conceptual development

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