Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Why is Sociolinguistics in Public Speaking Ignored?

What is something that every student around the globe has in common? The answer is language. No matter what country you are from, or what language you speak, sociolinguistics in public speaking is important to everyone. But why is it ignored? Think of this scenario: You are a senior at your four-year University. You are in your last semester to earn your bachelors degree in lets say English. You have this professor who is new to the campus, and during his lessons he does not look at his students, he has terrible posture, and his voice is mellow along with his mumbling. How could that be avoided?

It is important to ensure that this scenario never becomes a reality. That will not happen if the world begins to understand the importance of sociolinguistics in public speaking. This topic is not represented enough in popular media, and it is time for everyone to open their eyes to sociolinguistics in public speaking. At Monmouth University, there is a slogan on the website that says "Where leaders look forward." But if this topic is not taught or studied then who will our leaders of tomorrow be? Every single major that is studied needs to use sociolinguistics. Without it, the students will fail in their careers. This is topic is swept under the rug for reasons that cannot be explained. It may seem like an obvious thing; public speaking, but you would be surprised how many people get nervous or dread speaking in public. That is why sociolinguistics in public speaking should be introduced more in popular media.

Sociolinguistics helps people understand language. According to the article What is Sociolinguistics? Explain its Scope and Origin, it explains the socio-economic situations of individuals. It also goes into detail about the three levels of sociolinguistics and what they mean.
This screenshot was taken from the above article explaining the three levels of sociolinguistics.
The article then discusses Micro-Sociolinguistics and Macro-Sociolinguistics, which basically differs slightly. Micro-Sociolinguistics refers to dialect or speech patterns, where as, Macro-Sociolinguistics emphasizes on society based on its language. 

As stated earlier, language is perhaps the most common feature around the world, but it is also the most impactful way to understand human behavior. According to The Linguistic Society of America, sociolinguistics has become an important field of study due to the fact that cultures around the world are looking to broaden their communication and language. Basically, sociolinguistics determines certain factors of a persons behavior. However, without sociolinguistics in public speaking it will be impossible for listeners to understand or learn someones behaviors. Not studying or including sociolinguistics in public speaking is denying people's rights to speak, not only about a topic they feel strongly about, but also to inform people of their sociolinguistic behaviors.

In the article Sociolinguistic and Pragmatic Aspects of Public Speaking Discourse, the author touches on similar topics mentioned by the other two articles. However, the author included how important our words are. Our words give our thoughts and ideas meaning, and not giving students the chance to learn that could be devastating to people around the world.