'n Perspektief op die bestudering van die sosiale aspek van taal

Abstract

Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is om 'n oorsig te gee van die belangrikheid van die sosiale aspek van taal wat nie ontwyk kan word in die bestudering daarvan nie. Die vroeere "T.G.G.-linguiste" onder aanvoering van Chomsky het o.a. die volgende benadering en aannames gehuldig: Taal is homogeen en sy samestelling word volgens sprekere onveranderlike reels bepaal waarvolgens 'n model geformuleer kan word, waaraan alle uitinge, frases en sinne geteets kan word om hul grammatikaliteit al dan nie te bepaal. Die teorie wat uit hierdie reels geformuleer word,is die hoofdeterminant en alle data is ondergeskik hieraan. Daar bestaan 'n volmaakte sereker/hoorder-situasie by die indiwidu self wat a.g.v. sy intuitiewe begrip van die reels dus buite die sosiale omgewing gebruik kan word om hierdie reels te formuleer. Taalkonstruksies wat nie aan die reels gehoorsaam is nie, is ongrammatikaal en word verwerp. Hierteenoor het die jongere studierigtings soos o.a. Labov, Hymes & Bailey, Chomsky se sienswyses en sy benaderingsmetodes aangeval, gewysig of selfs verwerp en tot die volgende gevolgtrekkings geraak: Taal is heterogeen. Sy konstruksie word deur sekere veranderlike reels bepaal waarbinne variasie nie net moontlik is nie, maar die dinamiese kenmerk van 'n lewende taal onderstreep. Die dataversameling vind plaas binne die sosiale gespreksituasie en die teorie word ondergeskik gestel aan die data. 'n Ander betekeniswaarde word geheg aan die begrippe dialek en ongrammatikalieit van spraak. Die sosio-linguistiese aspek van Afrikaans word toegedlig met voorbeelde uit bandopnames van sprekers se taalgebruik in die Noord-Wes-Kaap.

English: The main purpose of this dissertation is to outline the importance of the social aspect of language, an aspect which cannot be ignored or evaded. Early Transformational Generative Grammaticists especially Chomsky made certain assumptions, and came to specific conclusions with regards to lanquage. These ideas were inter alia, as follows: Language. is homogeneuus and its construction is governed by certain inflexible rules by which a model could be formulated against which all utterances, sentences and phrases could be tested as to its grammaticality. The theory formulated from these rules is the chief determinant and all (speach) data are secondary or subservient to that. There exists an ideal speaker/listener situation within the individual who can by virtue of his intuitive understanding of all the rules be used outside the social environment to spell out these rules. Constructions that do not comply with the rules are ungrammatical and unacceptable and are rejected. The younger linquager e.g. Labov, Hymes and Bailey have complemented Chomsky's views and approaches on the one hand, but have also rejected or altered others. Their views are briefly the following: Language is heterogeneous. Its construction is governed by certain flexible rules within which variability is not only possible, but serves to emphasise the dynamic aspect of a living language. Gathering of data has to be executed within the social context and theory is of secondary importance and subservient to data. There is no such phenomena as an ungrammatical construction or a dialect. The social aspect of Afrikaans is also discussed and highlighted by using examples taken from tape recordings of utterances by speakers in the North West Cape.