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13 - Social Inequalities in Vocabulary and the Role of Reading

from Part Two - Continuity and Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2022

James Law
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Sheena Reilly
Affiliation:
Griffith University, Queensland
Cristina McKean
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
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Summary

Socio-economic differences in language have been noted as an important potential driver of ‘social reproduction’ – the transmission of socio-economic status from parents to children. Levels of language and vocabulary knowledge have also been implicated in wider social outcomes. This chapter provides a sociological perspective on language and vocabulary differences, and summarises some key empirical findings on a programme of work using UK birth cohort data. We address social inequalities in vocabulary, mechanisms of intergenerational transmission, and the role of reading for pleasure

Type
Chapter
Information
Language Development
Individual Differences in a Social Context
, pp. 302 - 321
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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