Attitudes and language detail
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Alexei Prikhodkine
Abstract
In this chapter, I explore to what extent different levels of language detail in the presentation of attitude targets have an impact on the expression of language attitudes. Results from the research carried out in the Frenchspeaking part of Switzerland (Suisse romande) reveal that the evaluation of a given language variety through a global category name does not equal the sum of average evaluations of each specific feature composing that variety. Being ideologically loaded concepts, global category names (like accent) tend to elicit, in the Suisse romand context, attitudes mostly having for their target stigmatized patois features, while Swiss prestigious features are not mobilized by these concepts. Thus, the use of global category names for attitude elicitation in previous studies may have been a determining factor for the outcome of locating Standard French outside the Swiss community. Finally, results from my study indicate that the validity of language attitude data will be enhanced by taking into account ideology loaded in the process of sociolinguistic interpretation of global stimuli by lay persons, and by assigning to linguistic features under study the same level of specificity in terms of language regard as well as production.
Abstract
In this chapter, I explore to what extent different levels of language detail in the presentation of attitude targets have an impact on the expression of language attitudes. Results from the research carried out in the Frenchspeaking part of Switzerland (Suisse romande) reveal that the evaluation of a given language variety through a global category name does not equal the sum of average evaluations of each specific feature composing that variety. Being ideologically loaded concepts, global category names (like accent) tend to elicit, in the Suisse romand context, attitudes mostly having for their target stigmatized patois features, while Swiss prestigious features are not mobilized by these concepts. Thus, the use of global category names for attitude elicitation in previous studies may have been a determining factor for the outcome of locating Standard French outside the Swiss community. Finally, results from my study indicate that the validity of language attitude data will be enhanced by taking into account ideology loaded in the process of sociolinguistic interpretation of global stimuli by lay persons, and by assigning to linguistic features under study the same level of specificity in terms of language regard as well as production.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
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Part 1: Theoretical Backgrounds
- Does language regard vary? 3
- REACT – A constructivist theoretic framework for attitudes 37
- Mixing methods in the study of language attitudes 55
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Part 2: Implicit and/or explicit? When are attitudes “authentic”?
- The primary relevance of subconsciously offered attitudes 87
- Applying the Implicit Association Test to language attitudes research 117
- Implicit attitudes and the perception of sociolinguistic variation 137
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Part 3: What factors awaken attitudes?
- Got class? Community-shared conceptualizations of social class in evaluative reactions to sociolinguistic variables 159
- Perceived foreign accent as a predicator of face-voice match 175
- Is Moroccan-flavoured Standard Dutch standard or not? On the use of perceptual criteria to determine the limits of standard languages 191
- Attitudes and language detail 219
- Topic Index 243
- Name Index 247
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
-
Part 1: Theoretical Backgrounds
- Does language regard vary? 3
- REACT – A constructivist theoretic framework for attitudes 37
- Mixing methods in the study of language attitudes 55
-
Part 2: Implicit and/or explicit? When are attitudes “authentic”?
- The primary relevance of subconsciously offered attitudes 87
- Applying the Implicit Association Test to language attitudes research 117
- Implicit attitudes and the perception of sociolinguistic variation 137
-
Part 3: What factors awaken attitudes?
- Got class? Community-shared conceptualizations of social class in evaluative reactions to sociolinguistic variables 159
- Perceived foreign accent as a predicator of face-voice match 175
- Is Moroccan-flavoured Standard Dutch standard or not? On the use of perceptual criteria to determine the limits of standard languages 191
- Attitudes and language detail 219
- Topic Index 243
- Name Index 247
