3 Language and Identity Free Online FlashCards

How does language contribute to social life beyond conveying information?

Language helps speakers present themselves, build relationships, and position themselves in social life—not just convey information.

Name linguistic resources that can express or shape identity.

Accent, word choice, grammar, language variety, code-switching, conversational style, and silence can all contribute to how identity is expressed and understood.

What social meanings can linguistic choices convey about group affiliations?

Linguistic choices can signal affiliation with, distance from, or ambivalence toward social groups, including groups associated with region, ethnicity, age, gender, or occupation.

What can a bilingual speaker's language choice across settings express?

A bilingual speaker might use one language with relatives and another at work. The choice can reflect the participants and purpose while expressing connections to different communities.

What is indexicality in language?

Indexicality is the way linguistic features point toward social meanings, such as identities, relationships, or stances, through shared cultural expectations.

Why doesn't a linguistic feature have a fixed social meaning?

An indexical link is not automatic: a feature's meaning depends on who uses it, who hears it, and what is happening in the interaction.

How can a linguistic feature contribute indirectly to a broader identity?

A linguistic feature may first convey a stance or interactional role, which can then help construct a broader identity.

How do participants negotiate identities during interaction?

Participants can claim an identity, accept or challenge another person's characterization, or leave an identity ambiguous; others may recognize, reject, or reinterpret the signals.

What does it mean to say identity is relational?

Identity is relational: it gains meaning through comparisons and relationships, such as insider and outsider or authoritative and subordinate.

What does it mean that identity is partial?

Identity is partial: no single identity explains everything a person says or does. Several affiliations and roles may matter at once, and their importance can shift.

What does it mean to perform an identity?

Performing an identity means making it recognizable through repeated, socially meaningful practices, such as specialized vocabulary and formal register for a professional role.

Does performing an identity mean putting on a disguise?

Identity performances can be deliberate, habitual, or partly unconscious. They are not simply disguises; repeated practices help make social categories and relationships familiar.