SOCIAL DIALECTS

                                           

Social dialects (diastratic variants): they are the variants that derive from a desire for the perfect use of the language (cult), from a more elementary (colloquial) use, from the low culture of the speaker (vulgar), from belonging to a profession or to a certain social group (jergal). 

We call social dialects at the different levels of the language, that is to say, the different ways of using the language by speakers, insofar as they belong to a certain social class. Although it is not only the class in itself the determinant of the linguistic varieties, but the cultural level that is associated with it. But neither should we identify high class with high cultural level or low class with low culture; much less today that schooling has been extended to the most disadvantaged classes, and official bodies, especially municipalities, create Culture Houses and Libraries everywhere. The media, mainly television, have also helped to equal, in certain aspects, the culture of citizens.

When we speak of social dialects, we refer to the varieties of the language, associated with groups (students, family, clubs, circle of friends, professions), which determine the specific use of a linguistic level. A person can use several levels in their normal life: a doctor who analyzes with his team the operation of a patient (jergal level), informs the relatives of the same (colloquial level), comments with some friends the news of a newspaper ( cult level) and may even have a hot discussion about a traffic problem (vulgar level).

We will analyze the varieties offered by these social dialects in their different language levels:

• Colloquial language: 
                   

It is the one used by speakers in their daily lives to communicate with friends and family. We can say that it is the most used variety of the language. In oral language is characterized, in general, by being spontaneous, relaxed and expressive. Although he respects the norm, he commits some mistakes. In the written variety is preferred by the media because it is correct and understandable to most speakers.

Features:

Simple and familiar lexicon
Use of wild words ("thing", "subject"), phrases ("do you understand?", "Then") and phrases made ("at the level of", "based on").
Use of augmentative ("big"), diminutive (handyman "), rhetorical questioning (" Did you come? "), Exclamations (" Oh my God! ")
Inaccurate and limited vocabulary
Omission of final phonemes, apócopes ("attent")
Short sentences, simple and, sometimes, unfinished ("if you knew ...")

• Cultured language: 
                                

Linguistic modality that perfectly uses the morphosyntax and the lexicon of a language. Used by people who have a high knowledge of the language and use all their resources. It manifests itself more clearly in writing and is found, above all, in literary and scientific-technical texts. It is the best to express complex thoughts and transmit knowledge. It works as a correction model for the other levels and guarantees the unity of the language.

Features:

Accuracy and rigor in the use of phonetic, syntactic and grammatical rules.
Fluid and continuous speech.
Lexical wealth to use the precise term in each communicative situation.
Clarity and rigor in the presentation of ideas.
Avoid vulgarisms.

• Vulgar language: 
                             

linguistic modality used by ordinary people in their ordinary relationships, with frequent transgressions to the norm and use of vulgarisms.It is determined by the deficient linguistic formation of the speakers, who feel incapable to change their language register and, therefore, have less possibilities of communication, which supposes an individual and social disadvantage.Ignorance of the norm causes several inaccuracies, called vulgarisms, that affect all the planes of the language.

• Jergal language:  
                             

 Jergal language: special language of a differentiated social group, used by its speakers only as members of that social group. The main jargons are:

Jargon of social groups: used as a sign of identity by a group of people to differentiate themselves from others: athletes, young people (students), hunters, spiritualists, etc.

Family jargon: set of words that joke or irony are introduced into the family conversation of all social classes.

Professional jargon: language based on technicalities used in the various professions: doctors, computer scientists, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, sailors, etc.

Slang of the underworld: language used by marginal groups to keep the secret and the defense of its members. It is also called Germania (Spain), slang (France, sometimes this word is used as a synonym for jargon in general), furbesco (Italy), cant (England), Rotwelsch (Germany), the caló of the gypsies.


General characteristics:


Use of a vocabulary that only the group to which it gives cohesion knows.

Who enters the group is obliged to learn such vocabulary.

The occultism of the vocabulary has different degrees: it is not the same as the family jargon that the language of the underworld. In prison, words change frequently to maintain the degree of concealment.

THE STANDARD OF THE SOCIAL DIALECTS

Even though every language is a composite of dialects, many people talk and thinnk about a language as if it were a well-definded fixed system with various dialects diverging from this norm. this is false, although it is a falsehood that is widespread. 

"to the point of obliteration the older distinction between standard, substandard, colloquial. vulgar and slang, " attributing to them the view that "good and bad, rigth and wrong, correct and incorrect no longer exist." 

In the next section we argue the such criticism are ill-founded...

• Language purists:

prescriptive grammarians, or language purists, usually consider the dialect used by political leaders and national newscasters as the correct form of the language. this is the dialect taught in "English" or "grammar" classes in school, and it is closer to the written form of the language than many other dialects, which also lends it an air of superiority. 

language purists wish to prevent language or dialect differentiation because of their false belief that some language are better than others, or that change leads to corruption. 

• Banned language:

language and dialects have also been banned as a mean of political control. 

many languagues are banned for negatives reasons:

1. politics
2. employment
3. war 
4. religion
5. power, etc...

Russian was the only legal language permitted by the Russian tsars, who banned the use of Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Armenian, Azeri, and all theother language spoken by national groups under the rule of Russian.

A standard dialect (or prestige dialect) of a particular language may have social functions. Its use in a group may bind people together or provide a common written form for multidialectial speakers. If it is the dialect of the wealthy, influential, and poweful members of society, this may have important implications for the entire society. All speakers  who aspire to become successful may be required to speak that dialect even if it isn`t their own.