Compare Approaches to the Study of the Effects of Social Class on Variation and Change: Focusing on Labov’s New York Experiment, Lesley Milroy and James Milroy’s Belfast Experiment, and Eckert’s Destroy Secondary School Experiment

Abstract

One of the most popular research topics in sociolinguistics is the effect of social class on variations and change, the collection and analysis of variation are significant. Sociolinguists often use different research methods to collect and process data. This paper selects three experiments to study the approaches to the study of the effects of social class on variation and change, including Labov’s New York experiment, the Belfast experiment of Lesley Milroy and James Milroy, and Eckert’s Destroy middle school experiment. This paper compares and analyzes the experimental approaches, research and analytical approaches of these three experiments.