Language, Dialect, Vernacular, Accent, Lingua Franca

In this te-lecture, I consider what we mean by a language and by different “categories” of language such as, a vernacular, a lingua-franca, etc.  I also discuss the distinctions between accent and dialect.  All of these concepts are considered with particular reference to our Moroccan and Arab context.

Objectives
By the end of this session you should:
1. Understand major distinctions between types of language;
2. Understand the difference between a dialect and an accent.

Key areas/concepts
*Language, dialect and accent;
*Standard languages & standardization;
*Official languages;
*Vernacular languages;
*Lingua francas;