LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13 : 7 July 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001




BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!


REFERENCE MATERIAL

BACK ISSUES


  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.
  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.
  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2012
M. S. Thirumalai


Custom Search

A Study on Language Codes and Sociolinguistic Variables in
Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel

Febisola Olowolayemo Bright, M.A.


Abstract

Observation and previous research works have shown that in any social interaction or institution, there are variations in the language codes used by individuals. In a bid to identify the reasons for these variations, this paper conducts a study on the language codes and socio-linguistic variables present in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel. To study the language codes and sociolinguistic variables present in Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel, the conversation/utterances of some of the characters in the play were selected for analysis in order to check for the presence of these features using insights from Basil Bernstein’s Deficit Hypothesis. In addition to this, the analyses involve a consideration of sociolinguistic variables of sex/gender, age, social class, education, religion and ethnicity. The analyses reveal that the elaborated and restricted codes are the major language codes used in the play and that the afore- mentioned sociolinguistic variables are responsible for the variation noticed in the characters’ language choices. It is believed that this study will aid further sociolinguistic studies.

Keywords:sociolinguistic variables, language codes, Deficit Hypothesis, elaborated code, restricted code.

1. Introduction

Language is a social institution basic and central to all human interactions. As observed by Armour-Thomas, & Gopaul-Nicol (1998), language is a social institution that involves shaping the society at large, or in particular the ‘cultural niches’ in which it plays an important role. The discussion of language codes and sociolinguistic variables implies that there are certain factors that divide the society into different classes and influence individuals’ choice of language or linguistic codes. Not only that, A study of language codes and sociolinguistic variables is an indication of the fact that every society has linguistic codes acceptable for communication and interaction at any point in time and that language by its nature is totally a social phenomenon. This has led to the establishment of the fact that there is variation in the use of language among users in the same society and that language fulfils different functions in social institutions and the organisation of societies. These observable features have been reflected in numerous literary texts. These factors gave the motivation to conduct a sociolinguistic study on the language code and socio-linguistic variables present in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel.


This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.


Febisola Olowolayemo Bright, M.A.
Department of English
College of Education
P.M.B 044
Azare
Bauchi-State
Nigeria
olowolayemofebisola4@gmail.com

Custom Search


  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.