Real-time sociolinguistics is a sociolinguistic research method concerned with observing linguistic variation and change in progress via longitudinal studies. Real-time studies track linguistic variables over time by collecting data from a speech community at multiple points in a given period. As a result, it provides empirical evidence for either stability or linguistic change. Real-time sociolinguistics contrasts with apparent-time sociolinguistics, which surveys different generations of a population at one point in time. A theoretical model of language change in apparent time is built and based on the distribution of the linguistic variable across age groups in a speech community. Although apparent-time studies are more numerous than real-time studies, the latter have seen an increase in number since 1995, often in the form of restudies of 1960s and 1970s research.
Advantages Real-time methods address and resolve problematic assumptions of the apparent-time hypothesis.
Adult lifespan changes The apparent-time hypothesis assumes that an individual's speech is relatively stable over his or her adult lifetime and so each generation of speakers reflects the state of the language when the individual first acquired language as a child. Generational comparisons can then be made to study linguistic change. However, that assumption is undermined by the observation of the occurrence of lifespan change in many cases. Individual speakers "change over their lifespans in the direction of a change in progress in the rest of the community." Because older speakers may have changes in language, apparent-time studies systematically underestimate the rate of change. Real-time methods do not make assumptions about the stability of older speakers' speech, but data about the speakers' speech over time are gathered directly. Therefore, real-time studies do not have the problem of underestimation.
Age-graded variation An entire speech community may exhibit age-graded variation, linguistic differences that emerge among different generations as the result of age, rather than actual language change. Therefore, apparent-time sociolinguistics studies do not definitively indicate that linguistic change is underway in a given speech community. In real-time analyses, one may test for age-grading by comparing the speech habits of participants at multiple points in time. If the speech habits have not changed, the apparent-time hypothesis is supported. If the speech habits correlate with certain ages, rather than speakers, the speech exhibits age-graded variation.
Rate of language change Real-time studies are crucial because changes do not necessarily occur in stable, progressive increments that can be documented synchronically, as is assumed in the apparent-time hypothesis. Language change may occur quickly as a result of social changes. That was the case in the dialects of some island communities, such as Smith Island. Language change occurred rapidly on the island and completed within one or two generations. Apparent-time studies, which document only data from one point in time, would not have been able to capture that case of rapid change. Real-time study methods are more favorable over apparent-time methods because the change is more easily detected and is documented in smaller discrete increments.
Effects of social changes Real-time studies can also capture subtle language changes that result from social shifts within the community. Apparent-time studies can assume correlations only between linguistic changes and social factors, but such changes can be directly witnessed in real-time studies.
Disadvantages
Constraints on time Sociolinguistics is a relatively-new field and so in many cases, not enough time has elapsed to gather adequate information on the same speech community over an extended period of time. Similarly, researchers do not favor real-time sociolinguistics studies because of the time commitment to one project and delayed gratification. Because of the nature of the studies, researchers must wait many years before they can collect enough data for analysis. Often, researchers will not even get to see the results of their data. That lack of fulfillment makes linguists often opt for apparent-time studies instead. They may also motivated by the common university practice of rewarding "more quickly achieved publications rather than 'research in progress.'"
Changes in population While a study is in progress, changes may occur in the group of participants being surveyed. A speech community may change over time because of speakers passing or relocating or social conditions changing. Dramatic change in the demographics of a community would likely have a significant effect on linguistic patterns and so a study may end up reflecting a change in demographic population, rather than linguistic change. The continued participation of the subjects is also not guaranteed. If the researchers were to add new speakers to replace speakers who are no longer in the speech community, they would be altering the original speech community. Such alterations would undermine the basis of the real-time study approach, which depends on the use of the same speech community over time to collect reliable and representative data.
Issues with comparability Old and new studies may not be able to be directly compared. Different research projects have different interview conditions, instrumental measurements, data extraction methodologies, and research aims. For example, if the more recent study uses data collection technology that was not yet developed at the time of the older study, there will be a discrepancy between the two sets of data.
Approaches and methodologies
Using existing evidence The methodology of using existing evidence involves the comparison of a new study to a previous one or to some other form of evidence. That approach to real-time sociolinguistics is more efficient and cost-effective than resurveys, but it has weaknesses, which are mostly issues with comparability.
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