Matakuliah
Tahun
: G0362/Sociolingustics
: 2007
Linguistic Varieties and Multilingual Nation
Pertemuan 5
Learning Outcomes
Pada akhir pertemuan ini, diharapkan mahasiswa
akan mampu :
• Mengidentifikasi berbagai variasi bahasa
Bina Nusantara
Outline Materi
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Vernakular
Bahasa standar
Lingua Franca
Pidgin
Creole
Bina Nusantara
Definitions of Vernacular
• It is the language someone speaks at home.
• It is not codified. That means it has no written rules
(grammar books) and dictionaries.
• It is the first language of the people socially and
politically dominated by another group of a different
language.
Bina Nusantara
Example
• Karen Tan is a journalist in Singapore who speaks
Hokkian at home with her parents, sister, and brother.
She speaks English at work, and speaks Mandarin with
some of her friends. She has a maid from Indonesia, and
so she speaks some Malay to the maid.
 her vernacular is Hokkian.
Her language repertoire includes
English, Mandarin, Malay and Hokkian.
Bina Nusantara
Standard Languages
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Known as a prestigious variety
Usually has been codified
Used as H functions where some L varieties exist.
Examples include Indonesian in Indonesia, British
English in Singapore and Malaysia, Mandarin in China.
Bina Nusantara
• In multilingual (and multicultural) countries like
Singapore, a person has more than one language in
his/her language repertoire (=all the varieties the person
can speak).
• Usually the country has one or more national languages.
Bina Nusantara
Official Languages
• Is the term for languages chosen to be used in
government offices.
• Some countries have more than one.
• Sometimes it is only for political reason.
– In NZ, signs in public places use English and Maori.
– In Singapore, signs as well as announcements in
public transport are in English, Chinese and Malay.
Bina Nusantara
Lingua Franca
• Is the term for a language that developed, originally, for
trading purposes.
• This language resembles some of each of the original
languages.
Bina Nusantara
Pidgin
• A pidgin is a language which has no native speakers.
• It is developed as a means of communication between
two languages which are very different.
• It has very narrow functions, mostly referential rather
than affective.
• As it is used for limited functions, the language has
simple structure and small vocabulary.
• It has low status.
Bina Nusantara
Creoles
• A creole is a pidgin which has acquired native speakers,
i.e many learn it as their first language.
• When a pidgin becomes a creole, the structure is more
regular.
– E.g. Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea.
Bina Nusantara
Conclusions
• Vernacular is the language someone speaks at home.
Most vernacular is not codified.
• Standard languages are codified
• An official language is the language used for government
offices (can be the standard language)
• Pidgin is a language developed from two different
language for trading purposes
• Creole is a pidgin that has gained native speakers
Bina Nusantara