Sociolinguistics
LG 232/Autumn 2015
University of Essex
Prof. Peter L. Patrick
Language History Questions
Please fill out online from coursepage – return in week 3!
These questions are designed to help the instructor and other students get to know you –
especially your language background, skills and experiences. We'll draw on this information
as a learning resource. You may be surprised at the extent of linguistic diversity you find in
the other students. Their different backgrounds will help you understand the differences in
language attitudes and opinions that usually occur, and will be especially useful when we
discuss such issues as language rights, multilingualism, and non-standard dialects.
This is a voluntary form. If there's anything you object to sharing, don't give it.
First name: _______________________ Last name: ____________________________
Other family names:________________________ Nicknames ______________________
Where were you born? (Country, region, and city) Give as full information here as you can.
________________________________________________________________________
Name the places you lived for over 1 year, during your first 15 years:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Were you educated in state schools or private (eg academy, prep school)? Where?
___________________________ Name? _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What language(s) or dialect(s) did students use there? More detail than ‘English’, if you can!
In class:____________________________
Out of class:______________________
Teachers _________________________
Staff:___________________________
What is your ethnicity? _____________________________________________________
father's side:_____________________
mother's side: ____________________
Comments? ____________________________________________________________
What are your native languages and dialects? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
What languages & dialects did your mother learn to speak?
____________________________________________________________________
Your father? _________________________________________________________
Siblings? ___________________________________________________________
What factors do you think most influenced the way you speak your native languages?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
What factors most influence the way you speak English in an Essex U. classroom?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
What language or dialect do you wish you could speak, and why?
If you could change anything about the way you speak English, would you? What?