Section 3.5 Homework: Language Varieties
Part A: Mapping Your Linguistic World.
Question 1. Speech Communities: List at least three speech communities you belong to (these could be based on region, ethnicity, family, friend groups, etc.). For each, identify one distinctive feature of how language is used in that community (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, or attitudes about language).
Question 2. Discourse Communities: List at least two discourse communities you currently belong to or are trying to enter (academic disciplines, professional fields, hobby groups, online communities). For each, identify:
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What genres or types of texts does this community produce?
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What specialized vocabulary or jargon does it use?
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How did you learn (or how are you learning) to participate in this community’s language practices?
Part B: Code-Switching in Your Life.
Question 3. Describe a specific situation where you code-switch—where you consciously or unconsciously adjust your language depending on context. This could be switching between languages, dialects, or registers. Address:
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What triggers the switch? (audience, setting, topic, purpose)
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What specific features change? (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, tone)
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How does it feel to make this switch? Is it effortless, strategic, uncomfortable?
Question 4. The chapter discusses linguistic discrimination—being judged negatively based on how you speak. Have you ever experienced this, witnessed it, or found yourself making such judgments about others? Reflect on this experience in light of what you’ve learned about dialect equality.
Part C: Looking Ahead.
Question 5. Think about a career or professional field you’re interested in. What language expectations do you anticipate in that field? What "discourse community" would you need to join? What aspects of professional communication in that field seem like genuine requirements for clarity and effectiveness, and what aspects might be arbitrary conventions or gatekeeping?
