Language and Age
In order to gain your AO2 marks, you need to know key theories:
Penelope Eckert (1998)
Said that ‘Age is a sociolinguistic variable’ (language is affected by social factors)
Proposed three concepts of age:
Chronological age No. of years since birth
Biological age Physical maturity (e.g. Puberty)
Social age Life events (e.g. Marriage)
Social age is most likely to have the largest impact after the age of 18
Anna-Brita Stenstrom (2002)
Proposed distinct features of teenage talk;
Irregular turn-taking
Overlaps
Indistinct articulation
Word shortening
Teasing / name calling
Verbal dueling
Slang
Taboo topics
Language mixing
Gary Ives (2010s)
Asked 63 teenagers whether they thought that their age affected their language and speech;
100% said yes
Proposed that language becomes more standard with age (posher, less swearing…)
Jenny Cheshire (1987)
Theorised that adult language, as well as child language, develops in response to important life
events that affect social relations and attitudes of individuals
In order to gain your AO2 marks, you need to know key theories:
Penelope Eckert (1998)
Said that ‘Age is a sociolinguistic variable’ (language is affected by social factors)
Proposed three concepts of age:
Chronological age No. of years since birth
Biological age Physical maturity (e.g. Puberty)
Social age Life events (e.g. Marriage)
Social age is most likely to have the largest impact after the age of 18
Anna-Brita Stenstrom (2002)
Proposed distinct features of teenage talk;
Irregular turn-taking
Overlaps
Indistinct articulation
Word shortening
Teasing / name calling
Verbal dueling
Slang
Taboo topics
Language mixing
Gary Ives (2010s)
Asked 63 teenagers whether they thought that their age affected their language and speech;
100% said yes
Proposed that language becomes more standard with age (posher, less swearing…)
Jenny Cheshire (1987)
Theorised that adult language, as well as child language, develops in response to important life
events that affect social relations and attitudes of individuals
