Hoffman, M. and Walker, J. A. 2010. Ethnolects and the city: Ethnic orientation and linguistic variation in Toronto English. Language, Variation and Change. 22. 37-67.
In their 2010 article, Hoffman and Walker question whether we can assume some homogeneity within an ethnic group; whether, as Corlock and Wolick (1981) argue, there is evidence for an “ethnolect” in use across a given ethnic group. They highlight two competing requirements of variationist sociolinguistic studies, that is, that there be socially meaningful explanations for variation, and that the study of social factors be replicable. At the same time, the authors argue that much of sociolinguistics has relied on etic, externally-determined categories for determining and delineating ethic groups, and argue for an approach which combines both social psychology and variationist sociolinguistic techniques.
60 informants were chosen from Toronto, stratified for ethnic origin and generation. Data were taken from sociolinguistic interviews. The data were examined for two sociolinguistic variables, the Canadian Vowel Shift and t/d deletion. In addition to the sociolinguistic data the researchers also performed an ethnic orientation survey, judging how closely given speakers identified as a member of their ethnic group.
Through the use of multivariate statistical analysis, the authors determine significant differences between groups, but more importantly, they find significant differences within groups that are not attributable only to generational differences (i.e., time /distance from the ethnic native language). Thus they conclude that ethno linguistic variation within a multilingual, multiethnic community has less to do with imperfect acquisition, but is better understood as part of speakers’ agentive construction of identity.
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