https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc Select two of the tasks below and do some informal sociolinguistic research this week. Share your 'data' below by using the comments feature. (ESL 8110 F2019) en-us 2017-02-28 15:17:40 UTC 2026-01-25 19:07:08 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lightdecrease.png berg1207 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401067588 Teachers and students must cooperate to sustain the 'reality' of the classroom.  What are some ways in which a teacher and a class cooperate, in your experience? What particular patterns of behavior and types of language recur? What comprises a 'violation'?  Think about common interactions in a classroom? Are these universal?]]> 2019-10-22 18:30:26 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401067588 berg1207 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401075704 Pay attention to your conversations and to the words that are said.  Pay special attention to what is NOT said.  Is there vagueness of any kind?  What was simply implied or assumed in order for the participants to understand what they were talking about?  What made these shared assumptions and implications possible? What happens if you don't cooperate & insist that your conversation partner explain everything.  What happens? ]]> 2019-10-22 18:42:01 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401075704 berg1207 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401076321 Pay attention to your next phone calls.  What is said during the opening (answering) and closing (hanging up) of the calls?  Describe what these interactions are like.  Then discuss the role of context in shaping those interactions.  You might consider phone call vs. in-person, current phone technology, and the relationship between speakers.]]> 2019-10-22 18:42:54 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401076321 berg1207 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401413998 Pay attention to language use in a particular setting (e.g., a cafe, the bus, the grocery store, the gym, etc...) where you can overhear conversations. Take note about the people and how they interact. Write down information about how people are dressed, how long they stay, who sits/stands with whom, how the place is organized, and other descriptors of the place and people and their language & behaviors. Be sure to note any aspects of interactions or language use that appear to be outliers, as well as what appear to be rules for interaction. Share what you find.]]> 2019-10-23 13:06:34 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/401413998 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/402958211 A lot of people have commented on speaking more casually or formally on the phone depending on the setting and who you are talking to. This made me think of a phone call that happened in my classroom this week. I stepped out of my classroom to conference privately with a student in the pod area. As I was talking, I heard my phone ringing and ran to answer (I already knew that the phone call was going to be about the student whom I was conferencing with), but a different student got to the phone before me. This student normally has an ultra casual attitude, but as I walked in, he had a giant smirk on his face and was answering my phone in a very formal, polite voice, "Ms. Follensbee's classroom. How may I direct your call?" Even though this 16 year old hasn't had a job yet, he did have an understanding of the social rules for the workplace! ]]> 2019-10-27 02:36:36 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/402958211 ccherry01 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/403125745 2019-10-28 01:22:40 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/403125745 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/403967051 I think within standard U.S. classrooms and maybe even throughout the world there is a certain unspoken law for conversations in this setting.  Teachers, in general, are the ones who direct the conversation only allowing others to speak when permission is granted.  If the teacher desires more discussion from the students, he or he might ask complex questions that motivate in depth thinking.  If one student asks permission to speak, that person has the floor and the others have to listen.  To interrupt another student or the teacher would be a violation.  Language is generally well thought out and articulate.  To use vulgar language or laid back language might be a violation as well.  ]]> 2019-10-29 16:02:04 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/403967051 https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/404031604 As I work in a bar I get to witness all different types of conversations. You can tell a lot about the goal of a meeting by the language that people use within that meeting. You can tell if people are there for business, sports or a concert, or even a first date.  If people are there for sports or a concert they are generally much more inebriated than others and their language is aggressive and loud.  You can tell when two people are on one of their first few dates as their language is much softer and they seem to be more caring towards one another.  They might ask their partner what they would like to eat and pretend to be okay when the other person says they do not want an appetizer.  Older couples who have been together a long time tend to be more quiet towards one another and just take in their surroundings. I can always tell when a business meeting is happening because my approach to the table seems to be an interruption.  There is generally one person speaking and projecting his or her voice to the others and there is a sense of urgency in their tone.]]> 2019-10-29 17:33:21 UTC https://padlet.com/berg1207/6efy442v46sc/wish/404031604