Social status as a sociolinguistic category (based on Ch. Dickens`s novel "Great expectations")

The article explores the linguistic characteristics of various social groups in the work of the English novelist Ch. Dickens “Great Expectations”. The authors analyzed and systematized the data obtained in the course of comparing the speech of people with different social status. Defining the relationship of language and social status, the authors found that the concept of social status can be viewed in several ways: as a mutual expectation realized at the speech level; as an awareness of the personality of their position in society, as well as the manifestation of personal qualities in the implementation of social status. In the course of comparative analysis, the authors highlight the following relationships of speech with the speaker’s status, such indicators of the speaker’s social status appear to be character`s rich vocabulary, use of reduced vocabulary, ability to make up grammatically correct a sentence, ability to maintain the conversation and follow ethical norms in speech.