Regional Variation (sociolinguistics)

Language, as described in books and articles on morphology or semantics, is often described as a uniform entity; however, significant differences can be seen even within one language community, such as a country or state. Such regional variation of languages is also subject to linguistic investigations. General descriptions of languages focusing on pronunciation, or grammar usually provide information about the standard variety of a given language, nonetheless, that does not mean that it is in any respect better than its other varieties. The standard language is chosen for such accounts because it is frequently the official kind and, in the case of English, an idealized version that learners of English as a second language usually attempt to learn.
The accent is one of the most easily noticeable features characterizing a language's regional features. Although it is generally believed that some people speak with an accent and others do not, it is not valid. Every language speaker utters words with some accent, which can tell the listeners where the speaker is from. The term accent is characterized by pronouncing words characteristic of a group of people, showing which country or part of a country the speaker is from. The accent is frequently confused with the term dialect, which denotes aspects of pronunciation, words, and syntax that differ slightly from the standard variety. Although various dialects of one language possess grammar rules and vocabulary characteristics, speakers of different dialects understand each other without significant difficulties.

Moreover, one language user can speak two different dialects or varieties of one language. In countries like China or Malta, forms of language are used daily on special occasions. Such a linguistic situation, when one variety of language is considered more prestigious, and one move vernacular, but both are in use depending on the situation, is called diglossia.
Apart from regional variations of a language within the boundaries of a country or speech community, other factors influence language change. In some regions of the world, English has been used as a lexifier, a language that is a source of words for varieties of languages called pidgins. A pidgin, or a contact language, is a mixture of two other languages created usually because of trading purposes between peoples who do not share a standard means of communication. English-based pidgins are used in India, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Such language varieties often have limited vocabulary and poorly developed grammar and are used only when other types of communication are impossible. When a pidgin begins to be used by a more significant number of people, its vocabulary and grammar expand, and it starts to be used in a broader context. As it is developed as a contact language, pidgin does not have any native speakers, yet if it is used on a wider scale, children of people using it might acquire it as their mother tongue. When such a language starts to be used by a second generation of speakers, it is called a creole. It is the next stage of the development of pidgin. It is characterized by different grammatical features such as avoidance of passive voice, lack of case distinction in pronouns, and other word order. Some English-based creoles include Gambian Creole, Hawaiian Creole, and Australian Creoles.
As the process of developing a pidgin into a creole is called creolization, there is also a process of decreolization, which stimulates further language change. When people using a creole have some contact with the standard language, they tend to shift from one form to the other, thus often changing the structures of creole to make it resemble the standard version, perceived as having higher social prestige.