Sociolinguistics
I am interested in language policy in relation to dialects (including regiolect, ethnolect, and sociolect). While standardization process has set an ideal performance or language production for those who have a nonstandard dialect, it separates them from those whose dialect is standard while also giving a prestige to those whose dialect is standard. This has been supported by governments, resulting ultimately in a language that is more powerful, socially acceptable, and widely used than any of its nonstandard dialects. I am seeking to study the effectiveness of status planning, corpus planning, and acquisition planning in positively changing the attitudes and beliefs of the majority in a society toward a nonstandard dialect.
Power can be found in an asymmetrical relationship among two groups. A good example of an asymmetrical relationship is gender and gendered language; men having more power than women. Instead of looking at their language, patterns of language use, and communication style, I am exploring how other social variables and attributes will change this long-known asymmetrical relationship in some encounters and will allow participants to negotiate it throughout the course of encounters.
Power can be found in an asymmetrical relationship among two groups. A good example of an asymmetrical relationship is gender and gendered language; men having more power than women. Instead of looking at their language, patterns of language use, and communication style, I am exploring how other social variables and attributes will change this long-known asymmetrical relationship in some encounters and will allow participants to negotiate it throughout the course of encounters.