Reading Working Papers in Linguistics 4 (2000) - The University of ...

J. MARSHALL
mentioned, a ‘real time’ experiment is beyond the scope of this study, but it is
believed that a study such as this can shed light on the processes involved in
language change:
Sociolinguistic studies have now convincingly shown that sound changes in
progress can be observed, by carrying out ‘apparent time’ studies of speakers of
different classes and ages within a speech community (McMahon 1994: 49).
6.10. Determining the Social Scores
The entire database was worked through at least twice, with some interviews
being listened to three times. A score-sheet was filled in for each section of
the interview for each speaker. Some of the social scores, such as LIFMOD,
NATPRI and ATTDIA were arrived at during the interviews. The answers to
the questionnaire, which were graded from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly
agree’, where ticked off on score sheets during the interviews, and totalled up
later. Others, such as SOCLAS and SOCNET were simply recorded on the
cassettes, and added up later, while the recordings were being played back.
6.11. Determining the Linguistic Scores
There are three linguistic scores for each speaker:
1. PHOVAR. This is an index score calculated from the use of dialect
phonetic variables during the description of a picture list, where the
interviewer was the interlocutor. It was decided to use a picture list instead of
a word list. In studies where the dialect is linguistically distant from the
standard, use of word lists can trigger code shifting, or at least style shifting in
those speakers who do not have a fluent command of the dialect. Besides,
there are different cognitive processes involved in, on the one hand, reading
words, and on the other hand, saying what one sees in a picture. Reading tasks
are, to the respondent, obviously linguistic tasks, and can result in careful
speech styles. Describing pictures is not an overtly linguistic task, but rather a
general cognitive task, albeit involving language. The focus is on successfully
describing the picture, and it was found that the respondents concentrated
more on the task at hand, than on their speech. Often the respondent had to be
prompted and guided towards the required word, and this is why it was
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