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Linguistics Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation

Linguistics The Politics of Language Politics of language is a crucial element in the linguistic world. Each government has faced a crisis that has led to controversies as they try to control forms of languages or the languages are permitted to be used for specific events or taught in their schools (Fasold & Connor, 2014). These controversies that lead to the determination of language to be used are always less significant at first but later are seen to be influential in national or global use of languages. The essay looks at how politics has influenced language as well as impacts of sociological aspects to language in interviews. The first important element in politics and language is the relationship between identity and language. It is true that each person uses a language to convey information or idea to another person. However, it is also true that when a person speaks in a language instead of another, it means they are displaying an alignment towards one social group and creating a distance between themselves from another (Fasold & Connor, 2014). It leads to an identity-marking element of speech. Therefore, social identity can be linked to loyalty and each government is always concerned where the loyalty of each citizen lie. Therefore, language is a major part of politics since the national language is just likes the national flag; the significance is more figurative than functional during interviews. Nonetheless, it is important to understand what causes controversies in politics and language. The important element to comprehending this concern is looking at language standardization and making an analysis of non-standard language variation like Ebonics. Controversies results when people presume that Ebonics is a demonstration of an incorrect as well as substandard language (Fasold & Connor, 2014). However, when such languages are closely inspected, they show elements of structures that enable expression of a possible standard language. Typically, language standardization seems to be an effective convention and style. For instance, some speeches, especially in writing, necessitate that a user uses language that corresponds to all. As such, the text can be understood by each person and find them pleasing. Besides, language varies and each kind of social organization has different languages that can be less or more formal since they have unique properties, a feature referred to as diglossia. For example, diglossia is best expressed in German-speaking Switzerland. The Swiss German language considerably varies from the Standard German. However, every Swiss from the German-speaking regions grow up speaking their local dialects. Later, most of the Swiss learn standard German only in school, but still never let go of the local dialects, a significant pride to most (Fasold & Connor, 2014). Therefore, depending on the region, there can be elements of diglossia due to use of a given language in a less formal way in given situations while using it in a more formal way in other practices. However, it is important to understand the difference between a dialect and a language, even though the difference is the most challenging to exhaust. One major way to explain the difference is to consider the fact that speaking a language or a dialect can be related to the political aspect. This is because some languages were once known languages but went o dialects, and back to language again, due to political impacts. One of the striking differences is that dialects are always less developed than any language (Fasold & Connor, 2014). Therefore, if a type of linguistic is standardized and has an association with a literary tradition, then it becomes a language. However, if it lacks standardization, it is a dialect. Linguistics always works with the free version of the initial concepts of dialect and language, by creating mutual transparency to clearly distinguish dialects and languages. In short, there are people of linguistic differences but they understand each other exceptionally well. As a result, it is crucial to understand how politics have played a big role in the country like the US that has been effortlessly trying to make English the official language. It is surprising since English is majorly used in social and political American lives. The outstanding factor is that the lack of right criteria to decide the official language permits individuals to choose the appropriate language for political purposes (Fasold & Connor, 2014). Depending on the circumstance, language is an important element in politics and has to be uniform across a region to enable people to understand their political environment like evident in interview A. Sociolinguistics Diglossia still plays a major role when it comes to the social aspects of language between people, communities, cultures, and nationalities. The first element that determines the use of language between people is status and relationship. In most cases, people who tend to know each other will start conversing from their individual lives before proceeding to the formal business they are engaged in. besides, depending on the status, two speakers might begin to talk form an informal point like dialect before transitioning to a language just to enhance their understanding. Besides, switching language could be due to creating effectiveness. There are always bilingual and multilingual communities. In such incidences, there is a common language that is understood by all the people. Therefore, while creating a conversation, it would be effective to address each other in the common language (Holmes & Wilson, 2017). However, people like to witch unless the other speaker is missing out on the conversation as they cannot understand each aspect of a dialect. For example, each country has ethnic groups and each ethnic group would have differing dialects. When they meet, they can understand each other during greetings. However, when there is a need for a deeper conversation, they will switch towards profound language like in interview B. However, even with the switching concepts practiced, there are always linguistic constraints. Some cases of switching involve borrowing nouns and adjectives from a language and replacing with similar words from another language. The challenge is that these languages cannot integrate effectively while in some cases they mix efficiently. As a result, the switching of languages continues to become one of the major factors that affect the social aspects of language use. For instance, in the multilingual community, specific words can be replaced during switching. However, in some cases, it is impossible to change the order of words. In conclusion, language is an element that is affected by political and social aspects. Politics determine language based on the government’s influence on the need to know where the loyalty of their citizens lies. Besides, language is seen as a national landmark and determines the political alignment of people. On the other hand, language is influenced by social aspects like relationship and status that leads to switching of language. Usually, people will begin the discussion from their personal matters before switching to the formal conversation. However, it is crucial to understand that there can always be linguistics constraints as a result of factors like diglossia.

References Fasold, R. W., & Connor-Linton, J. (2014). An introduction to language and linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Holmes, J., & Wilson, N. (2017). An introduction to sociolinguistics. Routledge.

Appendix A. Language and Politics Interview (Start of Interview) Interviewer: Welcome, what is your name and how did you hear about this opportunity? Interviewee: My name is Eliud Kant, and I learned of this opportunity from your website. Interviewer: That is okay. What do you plan to do to the public if you are considered for this position? Interviewee: I plan to make the community a better place by improving the social, economic, and political impacts among our people. Interviewer: I hope you are full of capabilities since there are others who have shown interest in this public seat? Interviewee: Of course yes. I have waited for such an opportunity to bring a change to our society. My development record can be seen in my local residence where I have changed the lives of people. Interviewer: The committee will consider your interest and contact you on a later date through your contacts. Thank you for coming.

B. Sociolinguistics interview (Start of Interview) Interviewer: How you duin brother? Interviewee: I am good, thanks. Interviewer: How is your family, the kids gone to school yet? Interviewee: Not yet, there have been challenges at home. All will be well soon I guess. Interviewer: I hope so. What brings you here today? Interviewee: I need a quick loan, sir. I have to sort out urgent matters and I have not yet received my salary. Interviewer: How much do you plan to borrow and when will you return the money? Interviewee: I need $2000 and I will return after one week. Interviewer: I hope you keep your word. The money will be transferred to your account. Interviewee: Thank you. I appreciate a lot. Interviewer: Welcome.