Factors Influencing Variation' by Michael Phelan and Dawson Hope (Article Critique Sample)

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Summary
The first quota of the article is a complete overview of ‘Factors Influencing Variation’ by Michael Phelan and Dawson Hope. The authors try to highlight the possible factors that affect language variation. The differences can be influenced by many factors such as regional dialect, ethnicity, gender, age, and social class. One particular factor is the geographic and regional factor. These two factors are responsible for typifying local dialect.
The difference in geographical locations is a key reason for different language varieties. A good example to support this notion is the British English, American English, and the English language spoken by Portuguese. The author uses a case study to affirm the point of geographical location as a contributing factor. In the United States, early settlers from England settled in Virginia Tidewater area and New England. The key trait of such settlement was that people in this regions were prestigious in their language which the influenced to the neighboring communities.
Response
The most intriguing fact regarding this particular reading is that it provides a clear explanation of how geographical and regional factors affect language variation. Reading through this context repeatedly, I concur with the general argument presented forth. Looking for my linguist knowledge, people who are in close geographical proximity are likely to borrow or share lots of ling...