MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology

School of Graduate Studies

Master of Arts in English Language Studies

THE INFLUENCE OF AUDIENCE AND THEIR AGE

TO THE FORMATION OF A VARIETY: A TERM PAPER

Sociolinguistics
English 206 AAA

Submitted by:
Norkhan D. Macapanton
MAELS II

Submitted to:
Prof. Honeylet E. Dumoran

October 6, 2012

In all human languages, we can find examples of cases in which speakers have
multiple ways of saying the same thing (Coulmas, 2005). Because we have numerous ways
of delivering the same message, we produce variations of our own language. Variety is any
body of human speech patterns which is sufficiently homogeneous to be analyzed by
available techniques of synchronic description and which has sufficiently large repertory of
elements and their arrangements or processes with broad enough semantic scope to
function in all formal contexts of communication (Ferguson in Wardaugh, 2006). According
to Wardaugh (2006), all languages exhibit internal variation, that is, each language exists in
a number of varieties. In other words, consciously or subconsciously, we use variations in
conversing with others.
It is important to note that alongside these variations are corresponding tasks that
are accomplished by a specific variety. This means that we have a specific variety to be
used for differing tasks or activities. Therefore, the way we package our messages is not as
simple as putting up words together to make up sentences. On the contrary, it is a
systematic selecting, grouping and ordering of words which is geared towards
accomplishing specific tasks.
It is evident that people use language to fulfill social functions. This is highly
supported by the theory developed by Firth. The theory says that language has a social
function, both as a means of communication and as a way of identifying social groups. Thus
to study language without reference to the society which uses it is to exclude the possibility
of finding explanations for social phenomena present within that society where the language
is used.

Sociolinguists, like what we already know, is concerned with trying to determine how
very subtle patterns of variation provide a systematic basis by which speakers can indicate
or mark social cohesion and social difference (Mayerhoff, 2006). It has been established
that participants, and their background, in a communication situation affect not only the
message but as well as the way the message will be packaged. Because of the need to be
indicated or to be excluded as part of a group, variation is inevitable since speakers will
constantly code-switch among the variations of their own language as dictated by the
situation they are in.
Age, gender, education, sex, profession, religion etc are social correlates which are
factors in the creation of an identify of an individual and a social group. These social
correlates help dictate the kind of variation a speaker would opt to utilize. Variation is further
influenced by the audience in mind. A speaker would usually alter his message depending
on who he is talking to. Messages could appropriately be delivered by considering carefully
the background of the audience in mind. All together, social correlates and the audience
shape not only how messages are presented, but as well as how these messages will be
apprehended by the participants involved in a communication.
In our day-to-day transactions, speakers cant go on without considering certain
social constructs. Age is only two of many social constructs that users of a language,
consciously or subconsciously, regard to whenever they would talk to friends,
acquaintances, someone working in the market, or even to students. People are basically
bound by these social construct, especially age, in the way they perceive and are perceived
by others. To some extent, this is caused by the audience that is already in mind. Speakers
would always package their messages to appropriately address their audiences. Because of

this, certain difference in language use, or varieties, could erupt due to the difference in, let
us say, age of the interlocutors.
Having said a lot about varieties and how it is used and influenced by social
correlates as well as how audience influences the messages, this paper seeks to present
how speakers are treated and how they treat others in a communication situation in relation
to age as a social correlate. The corpus of this study will be the personal experiences of the
researcher as well as what he has observed in his direct environment.
As what previous studies in sociolinguistics reveal, audience and their age can
influence people in terms of how they will deal with their audience and their messages. This
is clearly evident in any talk with children. The variety of a language used on children is very
different compared to those used with others in that it is characterized by filtering,
oversimplification, and so on. Since children are young and may not have the appropriate
experiences that are called for in a communication situation, they are dealt with differently
as an adult would with a fellow adult. Several situations are mentioned in this paper to
present certain behaviors that adults do, or how they use their language variety for children,
when conversing with young speakers.
As what is widely practiced in society, children are always treated as if they have
limited understanding of language. This is due to the fact that, indeed, children have limited
experiences which affect their cognitive behavior. So sometimes when children have
something to say, like talking back on their parents, they would always be condemned for
doing this. People would often address them, in lay mans term, correct. This means that,
whatever children are saying are not really acknowledge by adults. They would just simply
think that whatever was said do not have any heavy meaning. Those are just indication of
what these kids have already acquired from their environment.

Furthermore, in relation to children talk as an indication of what they have already

acquired from their direct environment, it is also an indicator of what language is used in
their families. Some people have said that if you want to know what kind a family is, you
should look at the language of their children. This is quite logically since children learn a
language through imitation first. This means that children pick-up words, which they will
eventually use in conversing, from the conversations they have heard from their
environment, particularly from their parents.
In another situation, as what can be observed, whenever adult speakers talk to
children they would sometimes baby-talk they way through the conversation. Although this
is not really an advisable way of communicating with children, adults still do this because
they find it cute and therefore appropriate to their audience. This situation clearly shows
how adults appropriate their messages to their young audience. They believe that it is
suitable to talk like babies do to children because, after all, they are dealing with kids.
Living in a very conservative country would definitely influence how people think and
say things. That is why taboo issues, such as sex, are dealt with carefully. However, for
some families this is just too much for them to handle that they would rather not talk about
it. But for those who do, their explanation of taboo issues would feature a lot of filtering.
For example, especially as what is depicted in many movies, on occasions when a
child asks his parents about how he came to life, parents would usually just say that babies
stay in their mommys tummy for nine months then after that is the baby. Parents would
tend to be very careful about this because aside from parents thinking that talking about this
is very inappropriate especially because of the age of their child, it is also a very sensitive
topic. However, parents would still try and answer the question only this time, they would

filter their language is such a way that they would not come across offensive and at the
same time give audience-appropriate answers.
In the same situation, scientific explanations are not being used. It seems that
science is neither a good way of explaining because it is a very complicated field. If a parent
would use this kind of explanation, then the child should be very smart to fully understand
the explanation. It should be considered that scientific explanation should be best reserved
for audiences that have adequate experiences such that they would be able to grasp it.
However we should consider that children have to have many experiences in order for them
to make sense of many new things. Because of this, as much as possible, explanations
should be age appropriate to the children that is why parents would just simply opt not to
include the scientific explanation.
Another thing that adult speakers do when conversing with children would be over
simplifying of complex ideas. This could be observed especially when children interrupt
adults talking or even with adult-child talk. Sometimes when children hear a word that is
new to them they will immediately ask the adults about it. Furthermore, children are so keen
into asking why things are. Children are also very curious about the things adults are doing
such as going to school or work and a lot more.
Since young speakers have not yet experience a good deal of activities unlike adults,
there is still a lot of explaining to do with regards to new complex ideas. Every time a new
idea is introduced to a child, it is only appropriate to explain it to them or at least say
something about it. This is done because, for sure, children will surely ask about that new
idea. In explaining what usually happens is the over simplification of ideas. In talking about
school work like making assignment, sacrificing just to graduate, adults would usually would
sum all these up into just one word, school.

Moreover, adults are also fond of using the word bad when they see that a child is
about to or is doing something highly undesirable. If a child would have tantrums or act like
a spoiled brat, adults would immediately say those are not appropriate actions and that the
child is bad. Sometimes, since children are just too young to understand why things are,
adults would choose a word that would sum up all the complex ideas behind a topic. Like
the examples mentioned above, school and bad are two words that have been used
when adults want to send across something to children. The primary concern in doing this is
not really to explain things, but more of to deliver a message in such a way that children
would understand, and hopefully not ask more questions because more questions would
mean more explaining to do which will make the child get more confused.
The situations mentioned above have revealed how age and audience have
influenced adult speakers which results into the use of a particular variety of their language.
These do not only tell us of behaviors of the interlocutors, but as well as how that specific
language variety is used and what are the reasons behind its use. The conversations
between children and adult have also shown features very particular of this kind of talk. First
is children are always treated as if they have limited understanding of language because
they really do have limited experiences. Next is childrens language use is an indicator of
what language is used in his direct environment. Another feature is adults sometimes babytalk their way through a conversation with children thinking that this is an appropriate way of
dealing with children in conversations. Fourth is taboo issues could either be entertained or
not but when they are, they are dealt with carefully. Finally, the last feature is that adult
speakers oversimplify things so that their young audience would be able to understand
without sacrificing the chance of the audience to learn more about the idea or topic. In line
with this feature, adults also use umbrella terms to encapsulate certain ideas about some

things. The more these words are used by children, the more their idea of that word is
enriched.
Clearly the interplay between the interlocutors and age as a social correlate tells us
so much about the variety used on the audience. It also tells us how the audience affects
how a speaker would deliver his messages. Furthermore, it also says something about how
a speaker would consider the age of his audience. It is evident that the audience in mind
triggers how a speaker would say things or what variety should be used. All together, we
could clearly say that, indeed, people highly regard audience and their age on how they
deliver their messages to them. Knowledge on appropriating messages based on the age of
the audience could be a means of being successful in communication.
Language varieties undoubtedly exist because of the differing conditions present in
differing communication situations. However, regardless of these conditions, speakers of a
language would always find a way of altering their messages in relation to their audiences
age, which clearly influences the creation of a variety, because of the innate creativity
feature of any human language.