Language and Society
This relationship between language and society has for long been a subject of
interest for scholars and still continuous to be so. Owing to language connection,
language is closely linked with the social life. Humphrey Tokin (2003) notes that
“were it not for these social and ecological dimensions, language could hardly play a
useful role in communication.” As the same idea, Holmes (2001) believed that “the
language and discourse patterns associated with a particular culture may not only
reflect existing social relationship, they may also influence the way one group
interacts with another” (p. 338). Furthermore, the ability to speak and to learn
different languages is a gift despite people only can speak one language or loads of
them. The fact, however, remains that without language we would be lost. Even the
smallest action would become complicated without communication between people.
One of sociolinguists indicated that “one cannot understand the development of a
language change apart from the social life of the community” (Labov, 1972, p. 3).
Dialects reflect and may reinforce class, ethnic, or regional differences among
speakers of the same language. For example, someone speak Mandarin may not be
able to realize the spoken form of anther Chinese dialect but they can read it. It is the
subject of people’s concern why they speak differently in different social context.
Other than that, Hymes (1974) has noticed that “a mechanical amalgamation of
standard linguistics and standard sociology is impossible to suffice in that adding a
speechless sociology to a sociology-free linguistics may miss entirely what is
important in the relationship between language and society” (p. 76). Thus the
language that brings and keeps people together. For example, the people come
together in a political discussion group because they already have or are willing to
learn, a common political language. Holmes (1992) says that “the sociolinguist’s aim
is to move towards a theory which provides a motivated account of the way language
is used in a community, and of the choices people make when they use language” (p.
16).
In addition, from the point of view of sociolinguistics, one of sociolinguists,
Hymes (1974), who claims that “sociolinguistics must be considered as the means of
speech in human communities, and their meaning to those who use them.” Datesman,
Crandall and Kearny (2005) stated that “culture as the way of life of a group of people,
developed over time and passed down from generation to generation” (p. 4). A more
definition of sociolinguistics from Gumperz (1971) is “an attempt to find correlations
between social structure and linguistic structure and to observe any changes that
occur” (p. 223). What if society starts changing, language change would produce
special effects. “How the structural changes have a direct influence on linguistic
changes, not only concerns the complex phase of post-colonial industrialisation, but
can also be well suited to the current globalization phase” (Schaff, 1978).
What is more, sociolinguistic studies help us to comprehend how languages
change. Language use is influenced that people come from different language
communities such as various countries, customs, social classes, careers, life
experiences, habits and the level of education have different thinking. Even on
pronouncement, word choice and sentence-making depending on hobbies, genders
and ages may appear different personal characteristics. With similar references,
Schaff (1978, p. 136) indicated that “it is a question of considering the processes of
sociolinguistic transformations concerning not only aspects such as enriching one’s
lexicon and syntactic variations, but also and fundamentally, the pragmatics of
language, that is to say its relation with social activity.” Chambers (1995, p. 17) also
says that “social structure itself may be measured by reference to such factors as
social class and educational background; we can then attempt to relate verbal behavior
and performance to these factors.” Accordingly, it is neither meant to be what kind of
voice links up with meaning nor consequentially connects. Instead, it was established
by the people through long social practice.
As the review has shown, language always precedes society. Even in small
groups this relation holds. There can not exist in a society without language which
helps human-animal divided is important sign. Moreover, language is mainly assumed
to be verbal language and therefore considered in its fundamental role in the
socializing process, or transmitting culture and social system. Also, language
promotes one of primary factors on social life, because language is a tool for
socializing, connecting interaction and even coordinating our all activities. In another
word, language records results of people’s thinking, culture and society. Thus our
predecessors pass down understanding of their experiences from generation to
generation. Besides, this can either help us to understand the past or give us guidance
on the social implications in the future. In sum and in short, language has powerful
impulse that stimulates social product and social development.