Language Acquisition and Socialization
Elinor Ochs and Bambi Schieffelin - Developed ideas of language socialization, based on fieldwork in the
South Pacific
Language Socialization - Idea that people (especially children) are taught a langauge, but that also
teaches them to act in society, including but not limited to using language in a particular way
Language socialization quote - "Socialization through language and socialization to use language"
Implications of Language Acquisition - Studying language as it is learned gives us insight into the
relationships between language, human biology, and culture
Rules on language we have learned - Descriptive grammar, prescriptive grammar, social/context and
usage
Three big ideas on language socialization - Innate vs. culturally specific acquisition; multilingual
acquisition; socialization over a lifetime
When do children acquire language - Age 3; as long as they are exposed to language
Children will become fluent in all ________ of a __________________ - languages; multilingual society
Taiap vs. Tok Pisin - Production of language shift; what are the practices of the people socializing
children into language
Language socialization is a __________ process - Lifelong
Why is language socialization lifelong - Language changes so circumstances do; they are not always
positive or negative inherently
