Linguistic marketplace
Encyclopedia
In sociolinguistics
, the linguistic marketplace refers to the theory that the value of a speaker's choice of language depends on his or her role in society. Sociolinguist J.K. Chambers
has written that listeners place more value on the language of "professionals of language," such as teachers, authors, and lawyers, than they do on that of chemists or engineers. They similarly place more value on "technicians of language," like actors and secretaries, because these jobs require more interaction with other people and greater proficiency with words.
The need to find employment strongly influences the spoken language
, Chambers wrote, usually pushing the speaker towards a standardized tongue or the most prestigious one used in the area. When a lower value is placed on language in occupations requiring little need to talk with others, that push towards standardization does not occur.
The linguistic marketplace also plays a significant role in the ways that the speech of women and men differ, as well as that of various age levels.
Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and the effects of language use on society...
, the linguistic marketplace refers to the theory that the value of a speaker's choice of language depends on his or her role in society. Sociolinguist J.K. Chambers
Jack Chambers (linguist)
J. K. "Jack" Chambers is a Canadian linguist, and a well-known expert on language variation and change, who pioneered research on Canadian English and coined the term "Canadian raising." He has been a professor of linguistics at the University of Toronto since receiving his a Ph.D. from the...
has written that listeners place more value on the language of "professionals of language," such as teachers, authors, and lawyers, than they do on that of chemists or engineers. They similarly place more value on "technicians of language," like actors and secretaries, because these jobs require more interaction with other people and greater proficiency with words.
The need to find employment strongly influences the spoken language
Spoken language
Spoken language is a form of human communication in which words derived from a large vocabulary together with a diverse variety of names are uttered through or with the mouth. All words are made up from a limited set of vowels and consonants. The spoken words they make are stringed into...
, Chambers wrote, usually pushing the speaker towards a standardized tongue or the most prestigious one used in the area. When a lower value is placed on language in occupations requiring little need to talk with others, that push towards standardization does not occur.
The linguistic marketplace also plays a significant role in the ways that the speech of women and men differ, as well as that of various age levels.