kritik buku An introduction to sociolingustics, fourth edition written by Ronald Warhaugh
Reviewer : Fatihurrahman
Book Title : An introduction to sociolingustics,
fourth edition
Book Author : Ronald Warhaugh
In this great opportunity, my
lecturer Prof. Dr. H. Mudjia Rahardjo M,
Si,. commended us to review the book of An introduction to sociolingustics,
fourth edition by Ronald Warhaugh.
Besides, in reviewing a book, it is not better to review without commenting and criticizing it. Therefore, in this time, as a reviewer,
I would like giving comments and critics at the end of the reviewing section.
To make this reviewing much better, comparing to other books is needed becuase
by comparing it, we will gain and enrich the knowledge about the each topic
given. And we can excavate the weakness
and the positiveness of the book, as well.
This book is intended as a standard
textbook for advanced undergraduate courses and introductory graduate courses
in sociolinguistics. Different from previous editions, this newest edition
reorganizes the sixteen chapters in the book into Introduction (Chapter 1),
four major parts (Chapters 2-15) -- Languages and Communities, Inherent
Variety, Words at Work, and Understanding and Intervening -- and Conclusion
(Chapter 16). Here are the reviewing.
In Chapter 1,
Introduction, Wardhaugh tries to mention and indroduce some important issues in
sociolinguistics fields. This chapter talks about the nature of knowledge of a
language, the variations of each language and the relationship between language
and its speakers in a certain situation. He also mentaion some poins which
related to the sameness and the disctinction between sociolinguistuisc and
sociology of language.
In the
chapter 2 about Languages, Dialects, and Varieties. After exploring the nature of
the knowledge of a language he then, in this chapter, he explains about the
definition of language and dialect. Yet, actually he got a bit confused in
finding the certain definition about both two terms. Therefore, Wardhaugh constrains
his focusing on social dialects where the language used in its people.
Then, in chapter 3 and 4, he goes on to the next topics which about some
terms which related to the language used in vorious ways. Those terms are Pidgins
and Creoles, and Codes. Yet, Before
proposing the definition of them. He gives his readers about the basic concept
of lingua franca. The obejct of lingua franca that he takes in the language
used by aboriginal peoples in North America (see Taylor, 1981, for a
description of this and other aboriginal lingua francas). Then, he explains
both terms and its characteristics. In finding of it characteristics he does an
investigation . A pidgims is a language with no native speakers" (p. 60)
and "a creole is often defined as a pidgin that has become the first
language of a new generation of speakers" (p. 61)
then, in the chapter 4, he explain about Code. It then
provides a brief review of bilingualism and multilingualism. So then, in impact
to the two concept of codes, they are code switching and code-mixing. Yet, in
this chapter he merely explains about code swithing.
Chapter 5-6, Speech
Communities, and Language Variation, firstly
he introduces various definitions of speech
communities given by different scholars. For example, for Hymes, speech
community is a local unit characterized by common locality and primary
interaction. It then discusses the reality that individuals may belong to
intersecting communities in different contexts. In the end this chapter surveys
the issues of networks and linguistic repertoires.In so doing some crucial concepts
involved in the study of regional variation, e.g., isoglosses, are introduced.
The author then talks about the linguistic variable, "a linguistic item
which has identifiable variants.”
Chapter 7
and 8, is about Findings and Issues, primarily surveys classic studies in variationist
sociolinguistics. The first is an early study conducted by Fischer in a New
England community in 1958. The second is the groundbreaking and also most often
cited study done by Labov in New York City. While chapter 8 focuses on the issue
in variationist sociolinguistics, language change. The chapter first presents the
traditional view of language change, according to which "the only changes
that are important in a language are those that can be demonstrated to have
structural consequences" (p. 189). The further he explains indeed about
language in progres which all about language change when speakers use language.
Chapter 9, is all
about Words and Culture. In talking
about words or language then we cannot be separated it with its culture
because both are two things that come up
together. The chapter goes on with the discussion of taxonomies, particularly folk
taxonomies.
Chapter 10, in this
chapter focuses on Ethnographies, which is
concerned with the rules of communication in case of communication in
difference native people or social cuntural of the society. This chapter introduces
the ethnography of communication, which focuses on the illustration of Hymes'
model of SPEAKING.
In Chapter
11 and 12 are much more focus on Solidarity
and Politeness, Talk and Action. Ronald Warhaugh, in talking about Solidarity
and Politeness, firstly he familiarizes
the classic study of the use of 'tu' versus 'vous' in French, the use of them means politeness in
communication. While in chapter 12 talks about Talk and Action. Then he firstly
familiarizes the theory of speech act which developed by Austin and Sealer. The
theory of speech act proposed by them is
that the language can be used to do things. Then, he corporates with Grice’s
ideas, which involves the variable of quantity, quality, relation, and manner.
In Chapter 13
discusses
all about Gender, the author starts with
the discussion about the differences gender in language usega. For example, there
is a view that women's speech is trivial, although this is a high suspect of
bias. Wardhaugh then surveys possible explanations of gender differences in
language use, one of which claims that the difference may be a result of
different socialization and acculturation patterns.
Chapter 14 is titled
Disadvantage. In the beginning of this chapter Wardhaugh discusses codes again,
but this time elaborated codes and restricted codes associated with Bernstein.
Then the author discusses the issue of African American vernacular English
(AAVE).
In Chapter 15, Planning, the author first discusses a number of issues related to language planning. Then, he surveys various linguistic situations in the world in order to provide the sociolinguistic background against which several instances of language planning are discussed.
In Chapter 15, Planning, the author first discusses a number of issues related to language planning. Then, he surveys various linguistic situations in the world in order to provide the sociolinguistic background against which several instances of language planning are discussed.
In the last Chapter (16) is merely
about the conclusion of the entirely topics, starting in the chapter 1 till
chapter 15, which can be conlcuded that
in learing about sociolinguistics is not as easy as it seems.
Comment and Critic
What
I can criticize this excelent textbook is about the language use and the way he
explains the topic by proposing immediately examples which make the readers
easier in understanding the earlier explanation. Ronald Warhaugh is a very
cleaver author because he wrote the book in very simplest language in a very
familiar words usage. This actually the book that can be recomended to all of
the linguistics students. We do not need to read the book many times, we just
need to read once till twice times reading and understanding the contens of the
book. It is quite different when I tried to read and undestand the other books.
In
comparing to the other books, I have read the book of “The Routledge Handbook of
Sociolinguistics Around the World” and
as a student of foreign language I have dificulty understanding the contens of
the book, despite I read it more than twice because the language use makes me
confused and I am sure to say, it is
hard to be understood by the foreign language learner. Therefore the book
of “An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, Fourth Edition” which is written by Ronald
Warhaugh is very useful for the foreign language learner and let alone they as
a native language learner. Eventhough, the book is intended as a standard textbook
for advanced undergraduate courses and introductory graduate courses in
sociolinguistics. Yet, according to me, it is also suitable for the basic
learner.
This
book may have function as an indispensable reference book to anyone who is
interested in the study of language in society or especilly for those who are
as the advanced learner in undergraduated course, whether they use English as the
first language acquisation or their mother though and or as the second language
and even the one who is as a foreign language learner.
In addition to, in each chapter a
discussion section immediately the author gives the instances by his own
observing and surveying of each topic
and by comparing to the other previous author which is explained in the same
topics. In the case of proposing the immediately examples, it makes the reader
easier to understand the definition which explain earlier. This pattern of
organization facilitates the understanding of the issues covered by the
preceding topic. There are more advantages of Warhaugh’s book which makes it different with
the other sociolinguistics book is that, at the end of each chapter is a section
titled Further Reading, which provides a very helpful pointer to the major
works related to the topics covered in that chapter, due to making the reader
easier to get the other sources which can enrich their knowledge about each
topic. It differs this book with
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