Using sociolinguistics in coaching sessions
and the next question is, by Alexander and Russell and Introducing Sociolinguistics by Meyerhoff
Long before I became a coach, I trained as a linguist, specialising in the sociological aspects of language and communication. Learning the mechanics of language and how it is used allows me to understand my clients better and develop my coaching practice. More importantly though, it allows my clients to understand themselves better, as I share observations, models and expertise, bringing awareness and confidence to all that they do.
The link between sociolinguistics and coaching makes intuitive sense. But you may be wondering what that is like in a practical sense. In this article, I look deeper into sociolinguistics and coaching, and how I use these skills to gain deeper insights on what my clients may be experiencing in their lives as they go through change.
Before I dive into the list of sociolinguistic features, I want to ease any fears about being analysed or judged when being coached, especially when coached by a linguist.
The ability to pick up on sociolinguistic cues is something that happens naturally, with humans everywhere, all the time, without much conscious thought. That all of these features have social meaning is the reason all this complexity and nuance exists in the first place.
We are constantly absorbing social information in speech, processing it, and reacting accordingly. We may not have much awareness that we're doing this.
It's actually very hard to overtly analyse language while you're in a conversation, even if you're silent. This is because listening takes a lot of attention.
Even for those trained in spotting linguistic features at a deeper level, to direct your attention on the task of analysing language means that you are not fully present. Which of course, goes against the whole point of coaching.
Additionally, in both linguistics and coaching, being non-judgemental in your approach is a core value. In linguistics, this is centered around being descriptive (rather than prescriptive), in coaching it's centered around creating an open and safe space. Both are necessary conditions for curiosity, discovery, exploration and growth.
Being able to sit with a client in an open and non-judgemental space, listen fully while taking in all the sociolinguistic cues at a high level, and respond insightfully is where training, experience and intuition come together.
With all that in mind, these are some of the things I might be picking up on with a client in a coaching session, either consciously so or not.
Variation – this is the biggie. Variation is about the differences between speakers, from languages to accents and dialects, and even less perceptible details such as vocal quality, pitch or even gesture. But variation also relates to how speakers change they way they speak within themselves, often based on mood, topic, location, health or other factors. This is my specific area of expertise and in a coaching session, applying these skills helps me attune to what is going on with my client. Are they using more informal vowel sounds in their greeting, suggesting perhaps a comfortable, relaxed mood compared to the previous session? Do they get excited and talk in higher pitch when talking about their future plans, or do the vocal chords tighten and voice become constricted? Are they the kind of speaker who easily accommodates to others' ways of speaking or is their idiolect (their specific accent and dialect) mostly fixed and unwavering? How does this range of variation match up with their identity, their personal history, and values? I’m implicitly listening for these cues and I often share them with my clients if I think it will help us explore an area further.
Metaphor – which cognitive frames, colourful descriptions, and perspectives are my clients taking? If they’re talking about their challenges using terms of war, confinement or oppression, how is that impacting their progress with their goals? When the metaphors shift to a new frame, what might that be a sign of for them? Is that meaningful to explore further?
Narrative – what are the stories we tell and how does that relate to our identities? What gets omitted, what is overemphasized? Where are we at in our narrative and where do we want to be? How do we see ourselves in this journey? Who helps us and what roles do they play?
Conversation Analysis – how is the turn-taking progressing and what aspects of communication are they particularly responsive to? Are there specific hedges, discourse markers (well, so, like) that serve meaningful functions in their speech? What do these suggest and what might I learn about how the person is relating to what they’re saying, as they’re saying it?
Semantics – what are the specific meanings behind the word choices? What does a value like ‘authenticity’ or ‘trust’ mean to the client specifically? Do they talk in absolutes, or are the adjectives scalar or graded? Are they using stigmatised language, and if so, are they aware of it? Would they want to be made aware of it?
Pragmatics – what is the subtext? What is not being said? What is the role of humor for this person? How do they hedge what they're saying and why?
Paralinguistic features and beyond – what else is going on? How is their breathing, their volume, pitch and tone? What about laughter, posture, and eye contact? What gestures do they make and when do they make them?
These are just a few areas — there are many others, from culture to accent diversity, intentions, conditions impacting speech and so much more. We can't know everything and we shouldn't make assumptions about what is going on inside someone's head. But there are always patterns. And we can be curious and open to what those might mean.
There is a world of research and insight to be found here. I feel immensely lucky that I get to spend my future exploring it. I hope to find others who also have this keen interest and expertise to bring. Let’s write a paper, let’s do a talk, let’s learn from others and share what we find with the world.
