In VCE English Language, the relationship between social attitudes and language choices is fundamental to understanding how identity is constructed and perceived. Language is never neutral; every linguistic choice is influenced by the speaker’s awareness of social expectations, community attitudes, and the desire to project a specific identity.
Social attitudes refer to the collective feelings, beliefs, and values a community holds toward specific language varieties and features. These attitudes dictate the “social value” of language.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Language choices are rarely accidental. They are strategic decisions made by individuals to navigate the social landscape, informed by how they believe their audience will judge their speech.
The concept of prestige is central to why we choose certain words, sounds, or grammatical structures.
Overt prestige is the status accorded to language varieties that are recognized as “correct” or “high-status” by dominant social institutions (schools, law courts, media).
* Associated Variety: Standard Australian English (SAE).
* Social Traits: Intelligence, high education, professional competence, authority, and socioeconomic success.
* Function: Used to “fit in” with the dominant culture or to project an aspirational identity (e.g., in a job interview or formal speech).
Covert prestige is the status given to non-standard languages or dialects within specific sub-groups or “in-groups.”
* Associated Varieties: Slang, ethnolects, sociolects (e.g., “Mainstream Slang” or “Broad” accents).
* Social Traits: Loyalty, “street cred,” toughness, rebellion against the mainstream, and group belonging.
* Function: Used to signal membership in a specific group and to exclude outsiders.
| Feature | Overt Prestige | Covert Prestige |
|---|---|---|
| Variety | Standard Australian English (SAE) | Non-standard (Slang, Ethnolects) |
| Context | Formal, public, professional | Informal, private, peer-group |
| Goal | Social mobility, authority | Solidarity, group belonging |
| Attitude | Respectable, “Proper” | Authentic, “Cool,” Rebellious |
EXAM TIP: When analyzing a text, identify if the speaker is seeking overt or covert prestige. Ask: “Who is the intended audience, and what kind of ‘status’ is the speaker trying to claim?”
Our linguistic repertoire (the total set of language varieties a person knows) allows us to shift our language to reflect different facets of our identity.
Social attitudes toward the following variables dictate the language choices users make:
1. Age: Younger speakers often use slang to create a barrier between themselves and the “adult” world, seeking covert prestige.
2. Occupation: The use of jargon signals expertise and professional identity but can also be used to exclude those not in the profession.
3. Gender and Sexuality: Language can be used to perform or challenge traditional gender roles or to signal membership in the LGBTQ+ community (e.g., Polari or specific prosodic features).
4. Aspiration and Education: Those aspiring to higher social classes may consciously adopt more “Cultivated” phonological features or complex syntax to align with overt norms.
VCAA FOCUS: VCAA often asks how language “negotiates” identity. This means showing how a speaker balances their own identity with the social expectations of the person they are talking to.
Because social attitudes are often tied to prejudice, certain language choices can lead to social disadvantage.
COMMON MISTAKE: Students often describe non-standard varieties as “incorrect.” In English Language, you must remain descriptivist. Refer to them as “non-standard,” “stigmatized,” or “varieties with covert prestige,” rather than “wrong.”
Code-switching is the practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects in a single conversation.
REMEMBER: Overt = Open. It is the prestige everyone officially agrees is “good.” Covert = Covered. It is the hidden prestige that only the “in-group” values.
The relationship between social attitudes and language choices can be summarized by the following flow:
1. Society holds an attitude (e.g., “Standard English sounds professional”).
2. The Individual recognizes this attitude.
3. The Individual makes a linguistic choice based on their goal (e.g., using SAE to get a job, or using slang to impress friends).
4. The Audience perceives the identity being projected, either accepting the speaker as a member of the group or judging them based on social prejudices.
APPLICATION: Think about “Teenspeak.” The social attitude from adults is often negative (prescriptivist). However, for teenagers, the language choice to use slang is highly valued because it provides covert prestige and strengthens their group identity.
